Verboten
by ayamari no Goshi
Summary: AU. When Danny was five years old, he went missing for 2 weeks. In the years that follow, his family tried to make sense of what happened, only for the truth to be discovered years later.
1. Chapter 1

Verboten  
(adjective of German origin. Meaning: forbidden, especially by an authority)

Author note:

It's been a while since I've had a spark for writing. I would love to continue Eidolon, but I'm having a major writer's block with it. My current job causes me a lot of stress, so I know that is a major contributor. As such, I cannot guarantee regular updates.

Regarding the story, this is an AU. I have recently been listening to stories regarding strange unexplainable disappearances within the forests not only in my home country, but around the world. The strange facts of the cases combined with some old folklore have stirred some ideas in my mind, so this is what was created.

My only advice to you is not to follow the beckons of the strange things that lurk in the woods. Do not touch them, and do not touch anything they may offer you.

With that, let us begin.

* * *

When he was five years old, Danny went missing for two weeks.

Most of the time when a child goes missing, either they get lost or they are taking by something or someone. In Danny's case, those involved tended to believe it was the former, but there were a few details which caused the veteran searchers to scratch their heads.

All parties involved, Danny, his family, and the men and women who searched for him, agreed on the most basic details. Danny and his family were visiting his mother's sister Alicia at her home in Arkansas. The house sat on the outskirts of a small town in the Ozarks. While her five acres had been cleared of most of the trees to allow for some farming, an old forest surrounded most of the property.

That particular day in early August, his aunt took him and his older sister, Jasmine, out to pick some blackberries. Although Alicia was best known for her rhubarb pies and jams, she also made incredible blackberry pies, and according to her, the best blackberries were found about a mile away from the house inside the woods.

She was a tough woman who knew the dangers of the woods and would always carry protection with her. Before she took her niece and nephew with her, she clearly warned both of them they needed to stay within eye sight of her and listen to her. Her instructions were stated in front of both of their parents, who were able to collaborate it for the police report. In this instance, she also took a walkie-talkie with her as a precaution. When asked about the communication device, she reported it wasn't normal for her to bring one, but something in her gut told her she might need it that day.

The three of them left around nine in the morning and reached the patch of blackberries in about forty minutes or so. The three of them picked berries until their baskets were full. As they were getting ready to leave, Alicia caught sight of Danny looking up at a squirrel in a nearby tree. She glanced towards Jasmine to make sure she was good to go, but as she turned to call to Danny, he was no longer there.

A few choice curses escaped her as she began to look around and call out for her nephew. Jasmine assisted her but couldn't offer any information regarding her brother. She hadn't seen anything strange.

After several minutes of frantic searching, Alicia contacted her sister, Maddie, and her husband, Jack, through the walkie-talkie. Although she could hear Jack yell in the background, Maddie, while obviously shaken, was able to get in touch with the local sheriff. If Alicia had to guess, either her sister wasn't initially frantic due to shock, or she was able to remind herself she needed to keep calm until she could talk to the police.

Within the hour, Alicia and Jasmine were back at the house. About thirty minutes later, the police and a team of search and rescue folk had arrived. By this time, it had been almost three hours since Danny had gone missing.

After the officers took the statements from Alicia, Jazz, Maddie, and Jack, the men asked Alicia to lead them to the area where Danny was last seen, and she gladly agreed. Although Maddie and Jack wanted to go as well, they were told to stay at the house with their daughter. She hid it well, but Alicia was glad they stayed behind. Jack was bumbling and too loud for his own good, and Maddie, as brilliant as she was, could easily get sidetracked if something interested her scientific curiosity.

When the group arrived at the berry patch, Alicia pointed out the place where she last saw her nephew as the search and rescue team began their process of systematically combing the area. One of the officers led her back to her house before he returned to the search. The waiting began after that.

Hours passed, and no word was received. Maddie's shock wore off, and she picked a fight with her sister. Alicia couldn't blame her, and she was also angry at herself. She knew those woods could be dangerous, but her overconfidence in her own abilities might have caused her nephew to vanish.

Sometime during the search, one of the police offers asked Alicia about her ex-husband. The two had a very nasty divorce the previous year, but to her knowledge, he had left the state and moved to a city somewhere. Since the split had been volatile, the police wanted to get in touch with him as a precaution as there had been previous cases where an ex had abducted a family member. Although she gave him the information, she knew it wouldn't amount to anything. Although she had several choice words regarding her ex, she knew he didn't have the backbone to harm her nephew.

Day turned into night, and night turned into day. There were no signs of the boy. The search and rescue dogs could only follow his scent so far before they just laid down in defeat. Unnerved by their responses, the rescuers continued to search for other means. The police and searchers did make periodic updates with the family and were at least able to assure them that there did not seem to be signs of a bear or coyote attack.

Days continued to pass, and even with the searchers using infrared radar and overhead searches, there were still no signs of the boy. The press had somehow gotten word of the case and had swarmed the house and demanded interviews with the police, searchers, and family. Instead of being helpful, they were more akin to pests who just got in the way.

After a week, the search started to die down. The professionals had been called away for another case, but offered their sincerest apologies before they departed. The police also were forced to turn their attention elsewhere. There were still volunteers out searching for the boy, but with the amount of wilderness, it was unlikely they would find anything.

Maddie and Jack were crushed. Alicia couldn't imagine how they felt. The child was their own flesh and blood. Jack, who was usually boisterous and cheerful was now sullen and quiet. She found him tinkering with some of the spare junk parts she had. He said he was trying to make a radar of some sorts, but she thought he was just keeping himself busy to keep from breaking down. During the mornings, she sometimes found him wandering the perimeter obviously looking for Danny. Maddie turned most of her attention to her daughter to try to keep her calm.

Jasmine, on the other hand, knew full well something was wrong. The girl was bright and always seemed smarter than what was expected for a child of seven. She wanted to help with the searches, but she was wisely told she couldn't, and accepted the explanation that her parents would not be able to handle it if she vanished too.

…..

Nine days after Danny's disappearance, the Fentons were supposed to return to their home in a different state. The family was hesitant to leave without any sort of closure. Luckily, Maddie and Jack had a flexible job, and it would still be a few weeks before Jasmine needed to return to school. Alicia didn't argue with their decision, and just made sure to make a list for more provisions for them.

…

On the dawn of the fifteenth day, Alicia and the Fentons were awoken by frantic banging on her front door. Agitated, she opened it to find an excited yet somewhat perplexed police officer in front of her. Sirens could be heard in the background.

"Ma'am, are the Fenton's available?" he asked as he removed his hat.

"Yes. Should I brew some coffee? Or pour a shot?" Her eyes narrowed as she appraised the man's demeanor. With how long Danny had been missing, she knew he would most likely be found dead, but there was something about him which told her he may actually have good information.

"Coffee would be nice, but I'm not sure they'll wait long enough for it to finish."

Uncertain at what that meant, she let him into her living room and went to get her sister. Both Maddie and Jack were awake and stood at the top of her stairs. She beckoned them down, and the three sat on the old leather couch across from the arm chair the officer had claimed.

"Maddie, Jack, I can't believe I'm saying this, but we found Danny. He's alive."

There was a moment of stunned disbelief before everyone yelled. Alicia couldn't make heads or tails of what her sister or Jack said, but the man had scooped his wife up in an excited embrace. Once she was released, Maddie demanded to know where Danny was.

"One of our volunteers found him early this morning. We don't know how he got there, but he was only a few yards away from where you said he was last seen," the officer explained.

"How the heck is that possible?" Alicia demanded. She and several others had checked that area repeatedly.

"Ma'am, we honestly have no idea," he replied honestly. "He's been taken to the local hospital to check for injuries, but I've been told he's in good health."

It only took a few moments after that for Jack and Maddie to wake up their daughter and get ready before the four of them piled in the Fenton's vehicle and headed to the hospital. When they arrived and the woman at the front desk told them where they needed to go, they found Danny happily sitting on an examination table with a juice box in hand speaking with an officer.

The boy waved to his parents once he noticed them. Seconds later, he was safely wrapped in his mother's arms. She was crying in happiness.

Allowing the family their much needed reunion, the officer stepped outside and spoke to Alicia. "We're honestly at a loss for what happened to him," he explained. "Danny says someone asked to play with him, but he couldn't really explain who or what it might have been. He says the thing had red eyes and gave him food when he was got tired. He said his playmate wanted him to stay, but he wasn't strong enough yet. He said his playmate let him go with the promise of them meeting again in the future."

"That's very strange."

The officer looked her dead in the eye. "Ma'am, I'm sure you're aware of this, but weird things happen in these woods. We're lucky he turned up alive. In most of the cases I've heard like this, the child is never found. No trace of them what so ever. Or, if they are found, they're dead for reasons we don't understand." With that, he left her to her thoughts and went back into the room to finish up his interview with Danny.

…

A couple days later, Maddie and Jack had packed up their kids and began their journey back to their home. While she was glad everything had turned out alright in the end, she had concerns about her nephew.

Danny seemed off somehow. There didn't seem to be a change in personality, but she'd catch him sometimes stare off into the woods with a blank expression. His eyes also seemed somewhat different, but she was never exactly able to pinpoint why.

In the years that followed, she received word her family was doing fine. Danny seemed unaffected by the event and was growing up as a young boy should. Jasmine had begun taking an interest in psychology, most likely due to what she had witnessed when Danny disappeared. Maddie and Jack, however, had taken a personal interest in what happened to their boy. While they were already investigating what many would consider fringe sciences, they began looking into the tales of disappearances like their son's.

She was still unsettled by the entire event. Her gut told her whatever happened to Danny was only the beginning of something larger and stranger. If he disappeared again, she wouldn't be surprised.

* * *

That is it for chapter 1. Feedback would be wonderful as I am a bit rusty, and the idea hit me very quickly. I hope I got some of the uneasiness through that I was hoping to convey.

I would also like to point out the initial inspiration came from listening to interviews from the writer of the Missing 411 series. The books detail the circumstances regarding people who have mysteriously gone missing in national parks and forests where the normal associated causes cannot be applied. The author is a retired police officer and has made sure to investigate those angles before including them. There has been a lot of speculation as to the causes, but there has not been an explanation which fits in all described cases. If you are interested, the author recommends looking at his books at the CANAM Missing project due to weird issues on Amazon regarding price.

A few folklorists have mentioned that the aforementioned cases have a lot of similarities to folktales and myths around the world. I will be drawing in some of that information into this story.


	2. Chapter 2

I'm honesty surprised at the amount of notifications I received for chapter 1. Thank you for all your support.

Regarding the story, I know I have an odd writing style. Please let me know if something is not clear or is phrased strangely. This story is not currently beta'ed. Also, this story is currently going to have a "T" rating due to some of the details my mind decided must be included as things progress. I will post warnings as I get to those parts. 

* * *

Chapter 2

"I'm honestly surprised your parents allowed you on this trip, Danny," his friend Sam mentioned as they and their other friend, Tucker, packed their bags onto the bus.

The now seventeen year old Danny shrugged as he focused on trying to make sure his bag wouldn't be squished in the luggage compartment of the bus during the trip. He brought a foldable telescope with him in case he had a chance to stargaze, and he didn't want it to get broken.

His school, Casper High, had some sort of deal with one of the local National Parks. The school was allowed to camp at the park at a reduced rate as long as the students helped the Forest Rangers with some minor tasks. Both parties considered it a win-win situation as the Park Service received some extra hands, and the school was able to pride itself on the survival and conservational experiences its students received. Technically, the trip was voluntary for seniors, but the teachers indirectly pressured the students to participate.

"To be honest, I'm more surprised they convinced Tucker to go," Danny eventually replied after he was satisfied with the location of his bag.

"You're telling me!" Tucker whined as he waited for his two friends while he fiddled with his PDA. "My mother actually threatened to stop making her meatloaf for me if I didn't go! They said, "It would be good for me". Can you believe that?"

"I think a little bit of hiking do you some good." Sam poked him in the stomach for emphasis.

As Tucker shouted in protest, Danny and Sam exchanged a glance. Tucker did not like the outdoors, and he was very vocal about it. His world primary consisted of technology, and while it was amazing what he could do with his handheld and twenty minutes, his physical prowess was lacking.

"But seriously, Danny," Tucker injected after he finally fended off Sam, "how did you convince your parents to let you come?"

Danny shrugged as he headed towards the door of the bus. Shouts from the teachers made it clear they would be boarding soon. "It seems like the school board managed to somehow convince them. All I know is that they had a meeting with them to raise concerns and to tell them I wasn't going to go, but they came back stating it was fine. It must have been one heck of a persuasive argument."

"That's because my mother was involved." The boys glanced over to see Sam angrily kick a rock out of the way. Her parents were often a taboo topic. "I thought I told you she was on the school board. I don't know the full details of it, but I know she was preparing counterarguments to objections."

"I'm honestly surprised your parents are so gung ho about this trip. You'd think they'd consider camping beneath them."

"It's because of the prestige. They can brag that their daughter and their daughter's school has ties to a government agency."

While Danny raised an eyebrow, he admitted it seemed petty enough of a reason. Sam's parents were very wealthy and liked to show off their wealth, much to their daughter's dismay. They often argued with her regarding her appearance, music tastes, friends, after school activities, and other issues as they believed their daughter's choices reflected poorly on them. However, they were usually fine with their daughter's activism regarding conservation and animal rights as long as she didn't go too far with it, such as the time she tried to stage a break out at the local zoo.

Their conversation ended as the boarding began. The three somehow managed to get the back of the bus, which allowed them to continue to talk without interruption. Most of the other students tended to avoid their group. They didn't know why until one of the band members, Mikey, once asked Tucker how he put up with being so close to Danny. Confused, Tucker asked him to elaborate.

According to Mikey, a lot of the other students felt unnerved by Danny. As polite and quiet as he tended to be, there was something odd about him that no one was directly able to pinpoint. Mikey said he thought it could have been his eyes, citing how at times it almost seemed like Danny saw the world in a slightly different way than the rest of them. Tucker just laughed it off and explained that Danny had a traumatic event as a child so he often seemed unusually reserved. Mikey seemed to accept that answer, and afterwards, at least some of the students involved with the band were more open towards Danny.

The Fentons moved to Amity Park two years after Danny's disappearance, so the majority of the student body was unaware of the event. If he was honest, Danny would never have told Sam and Tucker what happened, but his parents' eccentricities forced the issue.

When his parent's found out about Sam's activism the first time she and Tucker visited their house, they made her swear she would not take their son into the woods with her. When he was finally allowed to take them to his room after Sam promised she wouldn't, he hesitantly explained why they were so intense. His friends were very understanding, though they were just as puzzled about the entire thing as he was. Tucker even offered to hack into the old case file if Danny ever decided to look into it.

Sam did mention that it did help explain why they sometimes caught him staring off into space. She figured he was probably traumatized by something he couldn't quite remember. Danny mentioned his sister once told him something similar, but he honestly didn't remember anything that happened.

What he never admitted to his friends was that he knew why he sometimes seemed distant. Ever since his disappearance, he sometimes saw figures out of the corner of his periphery. Usually, he thought it was another person, but when he tried to check, whatever it was had disappeared. More recently, however, the figures seemed to let him glimpse them for a second or two. He could never make out anything other than the vague shape as a person. Since no one else seemed to notice them, he figured it was some weird sort of paranoia due to a repressed memory.

….

About a half hour after they left, Danny received a voicemail from his parents. He had forgotten he had put it on silent, but there was no way he could call them back while he was on the bus since Mr. Lancer was the chaperone for his bus, and that man was a stickler for the rules. Instead, he made a mental note to call them back as soon as he had permission as he clicked the play button.

His mother's voice sounded absolutely frantic. " _Daniel, you call me as soon as you get this! I don't know what came over us, but we never should have let you go without some sort of protection. I should have never have let you go. If the teachers won't let you call us, jest remember to never be the last or first in line, and never, under any circumstances, go anywhere alone. And, this is important Danny, if anyone you don't know offers you food, don't take it."_ His dad could faintly be heard in the background talking about some sort of weaponry he made.

"And here I thought only my mom could sound like that. What was that about?" Sam asked. Her raised eyebrow told him she wasn't going to let it drop until he had an answer.

"I think my parents finally realized I was going into the woods," he replied as he put his phone away.

"I thought you said they were fine with you going," Tucker chimed in while he rummaged through his back for a snack.

Danny didn't immediately answer. He glanced away for a moment before finally he decided to open up about something which had been bugging him. "I know this is going to sound crazy, but my parents almost seemed like they were in a daze after that school meeting. They were so adamant I was not going to be allowed to go on that trip, and then they just changed their minds and stopped voicing their concerns. It was so weird that I actually called Jazz."

It was true. He had called his sister at collage because of how out of character it was. While Jazz understood his concern, she reassured him one of the teachers or other parents managed to ease their concerns, and/or they realized some of their worries were silly and unfounded. He tried to tell her there was something more to it as she couldn't physically see how off they were, but she just told him he was being paranoid and to enjoy himself.

Tucker whistled. "It must have been weird for you to do that." Both Sam and Tucker knew full well how Jasmine "Jazz" Fenton tended to overanalyze almost everything. As a result, Danny often tried to avoid asking her questions regarding why a person would act in a certain way. The resulting explanation was often too lengthy to be interesting.

"As weird as that is, do you really think anyone in Amity would do something like drug or hypnotize your parents?" Sam argued.

"I… I don't really know. Look, I never told you guys this," Danny sighed as he steeled himself, "but, there has been a second incident prior to us moving. Our old house had a wooded area behind it. It wasn't dense or anything, and you could see in it for like a half mile… but, according to my parents, and Jazz confirmed it, I went missing again for several hours in those woods. I don't remember saying this, but they said I mentioned something about my playmate from the forest in Arkansas payed me a visit. There's been an unspoken worry that this guy is following us for some reason."

Neither of his friends said anything for a while until Sam spoke up. "That's really messed up, but do you really think that's the case? How would this person be able to find you? Do you even know what he or she looks like?"

He shook his head. "You know my parents are big names in fringe science. It's possible he found us that way. I know that it's really unlikely… It… It's just… it was too weird, you know? With how my parents go on and on about other dimensions and being spirited away, them just suddenly changing their minds went against everything they believe."

"Don't worry, Danny. You're with us and a bunch of other students. We'll keep an eye on you."

"And if something does happen, Sam can chase off the bad guy with those boots of hers. Ow!" Tucker glared at Sam as he rubbed his shin. "That was a compliment."

She just snickered which caused the two to start bickering. The familiarity of it helped ease some of Danny's worries. He knew he was just being paranoid, and that it was very unlikely anyone did something to his parents. It was just that he couldn't shake off his uneasy feeling.

….

Their camp ground was in the Cuyahoga Valley region which was on the outskirts of the Allegheny plateau. The hills in the area were rolling due to the plateau and ancient glacial activity, but they were nowhere near as large as the ones found closer to the mountains in the next state over. Like many forests in the plateau, it was surprisingly old and dense.

Danny was unsettled by it. The hardwood trees blocked out a large percentage of the sun which cast permanent shadows on the area. Not only was it unlikely he would be able to stargaze, he kept thinking he saw something peek out from behind the trees. Chalking it up to paranoia, he decided to focus on the interior of the bus until they reached their destination. He didn't need to freak out this early in the trip.

Due to the amount of students, the school split them into groups of about thirty and split them around the park. His group was sent to a series of cabins near one of the ranger stations. There were five or six assigned to each cabin. Thankfully for Danny, Tucker was also assigned to the same cabin.

After Mr. Lancer told them some general rules, they were told they had an hour to settle in before they would met up for lunch. The unpacking was fairly uneventful, though Danny was dismayed to learn some of the football players would be in his cabin. Most of them tended to leave him alone, but the one, Dash, liked to bully him. It was strange since he was the only person aside from Sam and Tucker who would come anywhere near him. Thankfully, other than a warning to keep his weirdness to himself, the football players decided to ignore him and Tucker.

He unpacked fairly quickly, so he decided he had enough time to try to contact his parents. Stepping outside, he tried to make a phone call. Someone picked up on the other end, but the signal must have been poor as the call was extremely choppy. After several minutes of trying to figure out what she was saying, he told her he would ask the Rangers if they had a land line he'd be able to use before he ended the call. He frowned as he checked the bars on his phone. There signal was strong enough that the call shouldn't have been that choppy, but it was a cheaper phone since he had a bad habit of breaking them, so that could have been the reason.

They ate lunch at a mess hall in the camp complex. It was a fairly modest meal, but the beef and gravy was surprisingly good. Danny mused it was probably because his parents often experimented with cooking which often created strange results. He was also surprised that there was a vegetarian option available for Sam, but the school must have called ahead to let them know.

When they were finishing up, Mr. Lancer announced that one of the Rangers had an announcement. Danny glanced over to see a stern man, possibly in his late thirties, move towards the front of the room. He was fit and weathered, but every once in a while, there was a haunted look in his eyes.

The ranger, Rusty, gave the group a rundown of the general rules. He then paused for a moment before he spoke again. "This is unprecedented, but we are going to need your help for a search for a missing person." Murmurs of excitement ran through the students. "This is a serious matter, and I request you pay attention. We have our search and rescue people and volunteers out right now looking for a twenty-two year old male. He is Caucasian and was last seen in a red jacket and blue jeans. He goes by Aiden."

"Because you are not properly trained," Rusty continued, "I only ask that you walk along the nearby trails for a couple hours in groups of two or more. Each group will be given a walkie-talkie. If you see or hear anything strange, call it into us. Don't go off the trails. We don't need more people getting lost today." He fell silent and seemed to argue with himself for a moment before adding, "If you hear what sounds like screaming, particularly a woman screaming, call it in immediately. Large cats sometimes make that kind of sounds, and we definitely have Bobcats around. Luckily, they tend to avoid people, but we do like to know when we have signs of them."

Twenty minutes later, the teens separated into their groups. Each group was provided a map, compass, and walkie-talkie. Rusty took them to a large map posted outside the Ranger station and explained a little about the area. The trails he wanted them to take circled the surrounding area and were well marked. Before he let them go, he again warned them to report anything off, but did try to reassure them by letting them know other rangers would be regularly sweeping the area.

"Well, isn't this a reassuring start to our trip," Tucker sarcastically mentioned as he tried to figure out the map.

"It can't be helped," Sam told him as she ripped the map out of his hands and corrected it before handing it back to him. "They must be desperate if they're asking students to help."

"Hey, I'm not used to replying on handheld maps."

"You could try bringing it up on GPS," Danny mentioned as they headed towards the one trail.

"That's a great idea!" Tucker fiddled with his PDA for a moment before turning back to his friend. "Are you okay, dude? You sound a little off."

"Oh, I guess this would hit a little too close to home," Sam mentioned as she examined his expression.

Danny sighed as he glanced away from her. "Kind of. Even though I don't remember it, I was in this exact same situation before. I hope they find the guy, at least for his family's sake."

The trio fell silent as they began their walk on one of the easy trails. They didn't see anything out of the ordinary, though Tucker complained starting about halfway through the hike. Sam tried to distract them by identifying some of the local flora, but it only worked for so long.

By the time they made it back to camp, it was almost dinner time. Danny was glad to be back around the group. Although he never mentioned anything to his friends, he felt as if he was being watched the entire time. The trees seemed oppressive at times, and he was honestly surprised he didn't have a panic attack while they were on the trail.

After dinner, he asked Rusty if there was a phone he would be able to use. Rusty told him that he would have to wait until the morning because they needed the line for the search. Danny understood and thanked the man.

Before he had a chance to head back to his cabin, Rusty called out to him, "While you're here, make sure you never go off on your own."

"I know. I mean, my parents drilled that into me for years," Danny admitted with a shrug.

Rusty examined him closely before stepping closer and whispering, "You've witnessed something strange in the past. I can tell by the look in your eyes and how tense you are. In any heavily wooded area, the more open you are to the unusual, the more likely it might show up again." He walked off without another word. Unnerved, Danny returned to his cabin and waited for his friend.

Tucker still wanted to complain about the amount of walking they did when he returned to the room, which prompted a discussion regarding how in the world Sam was able to enjoy things like that. Danny was about to bring up what the ranger told him when the football players burst into the room. Normally, Danny would just ignore them, but this time, he was intrigued by their excited whispers.

"Hey dweebs," Dash addressed them, much to Danny and Tucker's surprise, "did you hear what happened?" An evil grin appeared on his face when they told him they didn't. "Kwan overheard the rangers talking earlier. You know that guy they were looking for?"

"Yeah," Danny answered, "Did they find him?"

"Yeah, but he wasn't alive."

"Wait, what?"

"You heard me. They're saying he's dead."

* * *

Note: The Cuyahoga (Ky-ah-HOE-ga) Valley is a real place. I chose it for some very specific reasons. 1) The forests in that area are extremely large 2) I'm fairly familiar with the landscape and weather as I grew up in another part of the Allegheny plateau 3) The parks in that area are a bit unusual as you have a mix of privately owned and government owned areas which I'm using to my design as there's more leeway with what they can and can't build in those areas 4) some old towns have been "swallowed" by the national park including one famous "helltown"

The Allegheny (Al-ah-gain-ie) plateau is one part of the Appalachian Mountains, which are said to be the oldest mountains in the world. You don't really have the high peaks or rock terrain associated with other ranges since they're so worn, but there are a lot of hills, valleys, creeks, and streams. There are also a lot of coal mines since it's a coal rich area. What's also very strange about the plateau is that you can be in a town or suburbs, but within 15-20 minutes, you can be on the outskirts of a deep forest. There are also some swamps and marshy areas within the plateau as well.

Also, a lot of the names for natural landmarks in the Allegheny plateau originate from the tribes who originally settled there. There are even some burial mounds in the Cuyahoga area.


	3. Chapter 3

Again, thank you to everyone who's shown their support by either favoriting and following or leaving reviews. I really appreciate it.

I would also like mention that updates may get sporadic from here on out. My creativity seems to depend on my stress levels, and I'm honestly amazed I've been able to release three chapters so quickly.

* * *

Chapter 3

"You heard me. They're saying he's dead," Dash clarified as he watched Danny for his reaction. "And from what Kwan said, his body was really messed up."

Danny rolled his eyes as Tucker stuttered in fear. Dash was known for trying to scare his 'victims,' so most likely he was just trying to get a rise out of them. "Yeah, yeah, and what's your proof?" he asked as he sat down on his bed.

That caused the jock to back track. "Well… Kwan said…"

"Dash, I get we're in the middle of the woods, and you're in a prime position to tell ghost stories, but unless you have proof, this is not something you should joke about," Danny scolded which drew a few surprised looks.

"What? It goes against your morals?"

The teen's sneer was enough to cause uncharacteristic anger to flood through him. After taking a deep breath to calm himself, Danny glowered at him. "I'm only going to explain this once," he warned as he tried to sound deadly serious, "I've seen the aftermath of what happens in a family who has someone go missing, especially when there's no explanation as to what happened. It's not pretty, and when it comes to people who get out here all sorts of terrible things can happen, so you shouldn't be spreading rumors that could reach the family."

"Wait, hold on. Fenton, you had someone in your family go missing?" one of the other jocks, Zach, asked. Danny was actually surprised he caught on to that. "Did they at least find them?"

"Luckily, they did, but that's the reason my parents were so vocal against me going, and while I think they're way too extreme about it, I, at least, understand their concerns."

"But, no offense, your parents go on and on about weird creatures, ghosts, and other weird crap."

"Well, yeah, that's what happens when you try to rationalize what happened when nothing else makes sense. They were already involved in fringe metaphysics and stuff before that happened, so it was a logical jump for them to consider time slips and other dimensions with how bizarre everything was."

A silence fell between them as they let Danny's words sink in. It seemed that Zach wanted to say something else, but decided against it. Dash did eventually mumble something about how he'd drop it for now. That by itself was enough validation for Danny.

"Hey," Tucker hesitantly spoke up after several minutes as all of them began to lay down, "do you think that kind of thing is real? I mean like falling into other dimensions and stuff."

Danny didn't answer him immediately. "To be honest with you, I really don't know. I know there are a lot of legends regarding things like this, and my parents' research at least suggests the concept of other dimensions is possible. I know the concept of wormholes are mathematically supported, and that some astronomers think wormholes could possibly bridge dimensions, but we don't have the technology to get close to one or survive it. But random rips appearing in the woods? It sounds more like sci-fi horror movie stuff, but sometimes, as stupid as it sounds, that's the only thing that makes sense."

…..

"Maybe Kwan was right," Tucker mused when he and Danny exited their cabin the next morning.

There were police officers present, and an ambulance with closed doors was on the far side of the camp. Danny briefly caught sight of an officer speaking to the driver of the ambulance until he noticed the markings on the ambulance were off. After a moment, he realized it belonged to the local Coroner. If that was the case, then there was a body retrieved.

"Well, I don't know if it was that missing camper, but something definitely happened to someone," Danny agreed as they made their way to the mess hall for breakfast.

The worst was confirmed as breakfast was finished. Rusty once again stood in front of them. His face was somehow bleaker than the previous day as he confirmed that the missing camper had been found deceased. After the murmurs of the teenagers quieted, he continued, "I know you're supposed to be out here for fun, but unfortunately, this circumstance happened. We are going to do our best, after the police finish their investigation, to make sure you enjoy yourself here. However, the police have requested to interview each of you to see if anyone you may have seen or heard anything while you were out yesterday. They have also requested that no one go off by themselves while they were under investigation. Please go in groups of at least two. We rangers will also try to be with you when you're outside of camp, but we may be stretched a little thin during the investigation."

"I'm surprised they aren't sending us home," Tucker mentioned once Rusty was finished speaking and the roar of the students overtook the mess hall.

"I don't think they can. I mean, the police need to talk to us, and since it's an open investigation, they won't want anyone to leave the area until they've determined there's nothing else they can do here," Sam pointed out as she checked her phone.

"Hey, are you able to get any service?" Danny asked her. "I couldn't reach my parents yesterday."

"It's weird. Yesterday, I could, but I'm having trouble getting service this morning."

"Now that you mention it, I noticed that too," Tucker added as he brought out his PDA. "And that's the thing, with how I modified this, that shouldn't be the case. I wonder if there's a disrupter somewhere nearby."

"You mean a cell phone disrupter?"

He nodded as he leaned towards them. His voice lowered as he glanced around the room. "I'm not sure if anyone else noticed it. I think most of our classmates think it's just because we're in the woods, but that's not really how it works anymore. This is something that should be brought up to the police."

"I think you're right," Danny agreed as he checked his phone again. "And with everything happening, I think I won't be able to use the ranger's phone today either."

….

About an hour after breakfast finished, the police began their interviews of the students. While Danny and his friends waited for their turn, they hung out near the front of the mess hall. They didn't say much, but instead, they decided to watch the area.

A while later, a long black limousine approached from the only road fit for normal vehicles and came into the camp. A few minutes after it parked, a well-dressed man with silver hair exited. As one of the officers approached the man, Danny finally realized why he recognized him.

"Oh, that's Vlad. I wonder why he's here," he mused as he watched. After a moment, he noticed his friends were gapping at him. "What's wrong?"

"You know _the_ Vladimir Masters?" Tucker nearly choked. "He's one of the most influential billionaires in the world!"

"He is? I knew he had money, since he helps fund some of my parents' experiments, but I didn't realize it was that much. Anyways, apparently he and my parents went to college together. With how often he visited when we were younger, Jazz and I kind of view him as an uncle."

"That's actually pretty impressive. My parents know him due to some of the business galas they've attended," Sam mentioned as a devious smirk crossed her face. "Oh, I can't wait to tell them that Vlad is your parents' benefactor. Mother dearest will have a conniption."

Their conversation turned to what Danny knew of the man, and he answered the best he could. As he thought about it, he realized he didn't know a lot of personal details about the man. Vlad tended to focus on the people around him and avoid talking about himself. He just figured Vlad was a very private person.

When Vlad finished speaking with the officer, he approached the trio. "Oh, Daniel! What a surprise! I never expected to run into you in a place like this with how protective Maddie is." His tone was pleasant, but his exaggerated gestures almost made it seem like he was acting.

"We're here on a school trip. I guess the PTA and teachers managed to convince her and Dad we'd be protected. But why are you here? No offense, but seeing you in the middle of the woods in a suit is weird," Danny replied nonchalantly. He was used to Vlad's over the top behavior.

"It's unfortunate, really," he explained as he glanced over his shoulder towards the officers. "The gentleman who they found dead works for one of my companies. I came out to see if the police officers required any assistance with resources, funds or otherwise, and offer my services." As he turned back to face Danny, his eyes widened as he seemingly noticed Sam and Tucker for the first time. "Ah, you must be Daniel's friends. Where are my manners? I'm Vladimir Masters, but you may call me Vlad." He extended his hand towards them.

Tucker eagerly took his hand, but Sam was a little more hesitant. "I'm surprised that a big name like yourself personally looks in on their workers," she told him.

A pleasant hum escaped the man. "I do try to keep tabs on those I employ. This particular incident, however, is extremely tragic and unusual, so I felt it was prudent to personally show my support for those investigating."

"Yeah? I've also heard that killers like to inject themselves into investigations."

"Sam!?"

"It's quite alright, Daniel," Vlad told him as he flashed a pleasant smile. "She does bring up a valid point, and it's likely I will be asked a few more questions at a later time as a result. However, I can assure you that I was in my office a few states away when Mr. Aiden Jones was reported missing. Hmm, I also think I may have a word with your teacher. With a tragic event like this, it's unwise to have you remain here when it is unclear if it is safe or not. Now, if you excuse me."

As Vlad began to turn, Danny took a step closer as a thought crossed his mind. "Oh, Vlad, I hate to ask, but would you happen to have a phone I can use to call my parents? Mom left me a frantic message, but my phone's not working, and I can't use the Rangers' phone right now…"

The man appraised him for a moment. "I don't have a phone on me right now, but I do have one in my car. While I don't think your teacher or the police would find it appropriate to let you in my car at the moment, I can at least give them a call for you."

"Thank you!"

Vlad flashed him a large grin. "Anything for you, dear boy. But, I really must be off. Ta!" With that, he walked away, approached one of the nearby rangers, and struck up a conversation.

"So that's Vlad Masters," Tucker mentioned once he was certain the man was out of earshot. "I can't figure out if I like him or not."

"I don't. It felt like everything he said and did was an act," Sam told them as she crossed her arms. Her eyes never left the billionaire.

Danny just shrugged as he put his hands in his pockets. "He's always been like that. I don't really know if it's because being involved in business, or because he lives alone."

"He lives alone? No family or anything?"

"Nope," he replied as he popped the 'p'. "He's never had anyone as long as I've known him. Both Dad and Mom like to ask him about whether or not he's dating anyone whenever he's stopped by, but he's always answered that he's too busy. I think Mom's tried to hook him up with a few dates, but it never panned out."

A frown crossed Tucker's features as he glanced at the man. "You'd think he'd have people throwing themselves at him because of his wealth."

"That might be why he isn't seeing anyone. Anyways, any thoughts on what happened?"

"Not really," Sam replied as she glanced towards some of the rangers and police. "If they thought it was just an accident, you'd think they'd come right out and tell us. I'm going to assume they aren't sure, so they need to try to rule out a few things before they tell us anything."

"Looks like we'll have a chance to ask one of the officers. I guess it's our turn to be interviewed," Danny mentioned as one of the officers caught their attention and beckoned them.

A few minutes later, the officer took them into the mess hall. It was fairly routine. The officer, Malik, assured them they weren't in any trouble or suspects. He just wanted to know if they had seen or heard anything while they were out on the trails the previous day. They explained that everything seemed normal, and they couldn't recall seeing anything out of the norm. Tucker did mention that the three of them were having trouble with their cell phones.

Officer Malik made a strange expression at the new information, but did say anything regarding it. He just thanked them for their time, and sent them on their way.

Before he left the room, Danny spoke up, "Sir, do you know what happened? Should we be worried?"

He was silent for a few moments before replying. "We're pretty sure he just had a bad accident, but, since we don't have an official answer yet, we do have to investigate and take statements. Sorry this had to happen while you kids are on a trip."

Danny thanked him and hurried out the door with his friends. "So, what do you think?" he asked as he checked behind him to make sure no one was paying attention to them as they walked behind one of the cabins.

"That's pretty cut and dry, isn't it?" Tucker asked as he scratched his head. "Accidents do happen."

"Yeah, but the officer didn't reassure us it was safe. Danny, you noticed it too?" When he nodded, Sam continued, "I think they're trying to downplay what might have happened which worries me. And since our cell phones still aren't working properly, it makes me more anxious. I guess Vlad was right. We shouldn't be here right now."

"Sam! Don't say things like that!" The scared whine in Tucker's voice almost made Danny laugh. "You'll see, Dash and his jerk friends will use it to tell ghost stories tonight. I not going to be happy if I lose sleep."

"And here I thought you liked scary stories."

"Not when we're smack dab in the middle of the beginning of a real life horror movie!"

* * *

Dun dun dunn! Sorry, I do have a bad habit of ending chapters on potential cliff hangers. It's more that I find it a natural place to stop, and that if I drag scenes out too much, they get very dry.


	4. Chapter 4

Thank you to everyone who has reviewed. I really appreciated it. Please feel free to ask questions or give critiques (mind you, these chapters have not be beta'ed).

* * *

Chapter 4

Later that night, it was officially announced at dinner that the camper's death was the result of an unfortunate accident. However, what shocked all the students was the decision to finish out the remaining time at the camp. According to Mr. Lancer, he had contacted the other teachers at the different sites, and that was the mutual decision.

Tucker had surprisingly spoken up and demanded how their teacher managed to get through since the cell phone service issue remained unresolved. After their meeting with the police officer, he had checked with other students, who all said the same thing. Their service was poor, and they hadn't been able to contact anyone. For the technophile, it was extremely frustrating, and he had put a lot of effort in attempting to solve the problem on his own device. He told Danny and Sam that it almost seemed like there was a weird electrical phenomenon causing the problem.

Lancer stumbled for a moment, but he eventually said the Park Rangers had let him use their landline. He then changed the topic and began explaining what the activities for the next morning would be.

"Alright, now I'm really sure something's fishy," Tucker whispered to his friends. "Wanna bet he was never able to contact the other teachers?"

"I'll pass, because I think you're right," Danny told him as he stole a glance at some of the nearby Rangers. They had been closely watching the students since the beginning of dinner. "I don't think the Rangers agree with that decision."

"Yeah, and did you notice? They've been stone faced during this whole thing." Sam leaned forward as she continued. "I really think something more serious happened to that poor man."

Danny nodded. "I don't have the slightest idea what might have happened. You'd think they come right out and say if it was an animal attack. But, that's fairly uncommon in our state. I mean, the most dangerous animal here is a black bear, but they aren't very common."

"It could have been a mountain lion attack. While they supposedly haven't been in this state for decades, there are still regular reports of them. That's something that might be kept quiet. I mean, that was an issue in Pennsylvania with their coyotes and the Game Commission."

"That would make sense, but you'd think they'd still say something like it was an animal attack and chalk it up to him doing something stupid to upset a bear if that was the case," Tucker mentioned as he fiddled with his PDA. "I still can't get a good signal."

"I guess we need to just remain on guard," Danny mused as the other students began to stand. His friends agreed with him as stood and went to grab one of the paper schedules which held the next day's events.

…

After Danny and Tucker headed back to their cabin after then had finished freshening up for the night at the communal showers, they were met with the jocks excitedly swapping information. Dash's grin was almost cat-like as he caught sight of the pair. "So, I guess you dweebs didn't hear about what actually happened to that camper."

"Other than what we were told, no," Danny told him as he went to grab something out of his bag. "And don't you have anything better to do than spread nasty rumors about the dead?"

Dash's grin immediately grew larger as he continued, "It's not a rumor. One of the band geeks was up for an early piss and saw them bring the body into camp. That guy was in pieces."

"Wha… what!? What did you say?" Tucker stammered as he dropped his PDA.

"Are you absolutely certain that's what he saw?" Danny demanded as he stepped in between Tucker and Dash. "The camper could have been really messed up, but if he was covered in blood, dirt, and whatever else he encountered, maybe it looked worse than it really was."

"As much as it annoys me to admit, Fenton makes a good point," Dash's other friend, Lucas, mentioned as he sat on his bed. "Without seeing it for ourselves, we don't know how bad it was, and the kid was pretty scared when he repeated it. So, let me ask you this Fenton, what do you think happened?"

"I'm surprised you care about whatever I think. But," Danny paused for a moment, "all I know for certain is that something bad happened, and the police and rangers aren't happy about it. But, I'm not a cop, and I'm clearly not trained in stuff like this, so my hunches are probably wrong."

"That's not much of an answer."

"Unlike some people, I'm not going to jump to conclusions before I know more." Satisfied with the stunned looks of the jocks, Danny turned to finish preparing for bed. After a moment, he realized Tucker was staring at him. "What?"

"So, where's this Danny Fenton been all these years?" his friend whispered at him.

Danny raised an eyebrow. "What do you mean?"

"You've never stood up your… you know… bullies before. What changed?"

"Nothing changed, not really," Danny replied as he climbed into bed. "It's just I can't tolerate people spreading rumors like this. It brings bad luck, or at least I think so, and," he paused for a moment before lowering his voice, "you shouldn't speak ill of the dead."

"Did your parents drill that into you or something?"

"Not my parents, but I can't remember who did."

…

The next day, the students were kept close to camp. Most of the day was spent learning basic camping skills. Although there were plenty of grumbles from his classmates, Danny found it pretty interesting as his parents wanted to keep him as far away from the woods as possible. He spent most of the morning in a boyish wonder as was instructed on setting up tents, campfires, and basic traps.

Sam spent a good portion of the morning teasing him, but he largely ignored her. Like a lot of boys, he had an interest in camping when he was younger, so this was a chance to experience it, or at least a small portion of it. However, by the time lunch hit, his enthusiasm had been replaced by uneasiness.

In the shadows cast by the trees around the camp, he felt as if someone was watching him. It was possible it was just an animal, but as the hours passed and the feeling continued, he determined that couldn't be the cause. Most animals didn't spend that long watching people, unless they were hunting, but most predators wouldn't dream of getting so close to so many people. Both Sam and Tucker seemed apprehensive as well.

"Hey, did either of you heard those weird bird calls earlier?" Sam asked while they were eating dinner.

"I don't know how you had time to listen to birds with how much manual labor we did earlier. I'm exhausted," Tucker whined in between bites of his food.

"We barely did anything too strenuous. You really need to get out more." The amused smirk on Sam's face was quickly replaced by a frown. "But, in all seriousness, something sounded wrong. I'm pretty familiar with the birds around here, but I've never heard something like that before."

"Is it possible it was an exotic bird?" Danny questioned. "I mean, it is possible one escaped or someone let one go."

Sam considered his words for a moment. "While it's possible, I don't think that's the case."

"What do you mean?"

"It's hard to explain." She brought her hand to her chin as she tried to put her thoughts to words. "The sound didn't sound natural. It was almost mechanical."

"A mechanical bird? Come on, Sam! Even for you, that's pretty out there. Am I right, dude?" Tucker playfully nudged Danny, only to realize he seemed deep in thought. "Hey, what's wrong? Earth to Danny."

"Gah!" The sudden motion of Tucker waving his hand in front of his face startled him. "Sorry about that. It's just that… I… I think I know what she means"

"Huh?"

"I don't remember much about what happened when I went missing, but before things go hazy, I definitely remember a strange bird call. After doing some research, my parents said that calls like that are sometimes heard before unusual missing persons cases."

"Dude! Don't say stuff like that! I'm already freaked out enough as it is by this whole mess. Ouch! Did you really have to kick me?"

"Keep your voice down," Sam warned him as she motioned to the side with a head nod. Danny followed the motion and noticed some of the Rangers seemed to be watching them. "I really don't want them to pay attention to us. They're watching us, all of us, like we're prisoners or something. Anyways, Danny do you know anything more about that weird call?"

"My parents said it might be a type of lure, but I have no idea if that's true or not. But, I think it was to catch my attention than anything else." Danny shook his head. "Sam, we wouldn't be doing this. Whatever that call was, it could have just been some weird bird."

"Don't you want to know?"

"Maybe? I don't know. Look, I've been uneasy since we first arrived in this forest. I already told Tucker this, but talking about weird stuff like this brings bad luck. Can we put it on hold until we get out of here?"

"But Danny!" Her argument was cut short as he glared at her. She straightened up as her eyes narrowed. "As weird as everything is, I think the bigger mystery is what exactly happened to you when you went missing when you were a kid."

"Look, I don't know what happened," Danny snapped. What was her problem?

"Clearly something did. What's every going on here might be digging up some of those memories. Maybe you have a memory that could help, but you're getting so defensive."

"Of course I am! Would you like it if someone kept trying to make you remember something that's probably better left forgotten?"

"Alright, alright. Chill already."

His only response was to huff and turn away. Her stubbornness was something he both admired and occasionally hated. Whether it was petitioning her teachers to get a menu changed, rallying a protest, or badgering her friends for information, she often wouldn't stop until she got her way. It was a big reason why he didn't think they'd ever be able to get together.

They had discussed it the previous year, after Tucker outed their mutual attraction. Neither of them thought it would work out. Sam was too headstrong, and Danny was too reserved for it to be a functioning relationship. There was always a spark of hope, but it was situations like this that reminded him that they hadn't changed. For the sake of their friendship, it wasn't something they could safely consider.

Maybe when they got a little older, a little more mature, they would be able to act on their feelings, but that would have to wait. For now, he was just going to sit in an annoyed silence as he finished his… what exact was this food supposed to be anyways?

…..

Sam actually apologized to him the next day. However, he was still too irritated to speak to her, but by the time lunch rolled around, he had forgiven her.

The morning had been spent working on more wilderness survival skills, but the Rangers surprised them by announcing that they would be leading them on a hike on the trail that surrounded the camp. It was only supposed to last a couple hours at most, but three armed Rangers would be walking with them.

Annoyed and uneasy murmurs circled through the students as they formed groups of three and four. Those groups were then lined up; one Ranger moved to the front, one went to the back, and the other moved to the center of the line. Before they began to move, the Rangers warned the entire group that, under no circumstance, was anyone to go off on their own.

Although Sam and Tucker wanted to stay away from Lancer and the jocks who were near the front of the line, Danny would not allow them to be in the very back. After everything else that happened, he would not allow himself to be in the back on the line. The warning to stay away from the very back or front still rang in his ears. Unfortunately, that didn't last very long.

As they began their trek, several of the groups fell to the back of the line. It forced Danny and his friends to have somewhat of a distance between the few band and more nerdy students who were following close to the first Ranger and Mr. Lancer, and the popular kids and jocks who were near the back. The Ranger who was supposed to be in the middle had hung back to help keep an eye on the larger portion of students.

"I don't like this," Danny mentioned as Sam had them stop for a moment as she made a quick sketch of a plant off the path. "Is it just me, or is it really quiet?" He had noticed it for a while. Usually a person should be able to hear bugs, birds, leaves rustling, something, but he hadn't noticed any noise for a while.

"These are older forests, Danny," Sam explained as she finished her sketch. "Noises often get muffled since plants can absorb sound to some extent."

"It doesn't mean it's not creepy."

"Actually, Sam, I agree with him," Tucker mentioned as he looked over his shoulder. "I feel like we're being watched."

Sam tucked her sketch book in her bag before pointing to something behind them. "I think you're right on that, but I don't think it's anything out of the ordinary."

Danny and Tucker turned to see Dash and his friends, as well as some of the popular girls approach them from down the trail. Apparently, they had been spotted as Dash wore an evil grin as he said something to Kwan as he gestured towards them. A round of laughter followed.

"Great, just our luck. Do you think we'd be able to outrun them?" Danny asked as he warily eyed the approaching group.

"Are you nuts, dude? We can't even outrun Sam."

"Thanks for that lovely vote of confidence, Tucker."

* * *

Notes:

The coyotes and the Game Commission was an actual thing that happened. Basically, there weren't supposed to be any coyotes in Pennsylvania, but there were farmers saying their animals were being attacked by something. One of the farmers, who lived nearby where I grew up, got permission to take a shot at creatures and ended up killing a coyote with a Game Commission tag in its ear. Twenty years later, the Game Commission has finally admitted coyotes are back in Pennsylvania, and that they can be hunted. Coyotes can attack people. While there aren't many documented attacks, they have happened, and Pennsylvanians aren't very happy about them popping up in towns and parks.

Mountains Lions, also known as Nittany Lions, Pumas and Cougars, are supposedly extinct in the states east of the Mississippi River (ignore Florida – it's an exception). However, that's another thing under debate. There have been many sightings of them throughout the years in the east, especially in the Appalachian (app-ah-lay-shin) Mountains. There is actually a picture of one found in Ohio near its border with Kentucky that was taken in 2014. I know there are recent reports (2018) in Pennsylvania and New York as well.


	5. Chapter 5

Warning: mentions of blood and death occur in this chapter

Things will start becoming darker from here on out. Please be prepared.

* * *

Chapter 5

"Yo, Fenturd, funny seeing you here."

"Last time I checked, our entire class is supposed to be on this trail. I don't know why you're so surprised," Danny quipped before he could stop himself.

Dash grabbed him by the front of his shirt. "What was that?"

"Could you deal with your beef with this loser later? I'm all sweaty and getting covered in dirt. My designer clothes will get ruined at this point," the one girl, Paulina whined. The other girls in the group, her satellites, quickly tried to comfort her.

Danny caught sight of the scowl on Sam's face as she took a step forward. His friend held distain for the popular girls on the best of days, but it was situations like this which really upset her. They didn't care about anyone outside of their group, and often stood by and laughed as the jocks bullied others.

Paulina, who was the unspoken queen of their grade, was often outspoken about girls who she thought was beneath her, but she had also begun her own form of bullying in their sophomore year. She used her beauty to make guys fall for her and give her items. Once she was finished using them, she often publically embarrassed them or had Dash and his cronies throw a few punches. She had tried to go after Danny once, but after encountering his parents and their eccentricities once, she wanted nothing more to do with him.

"Can't I at least get one punch in?" Dash requested as he sized up Danny. "I mean, this is my last year to wail on him."

"You can't argue with that," Zack added as he crossed his arms and leaned against a nearby tree. "Why deny a man a simple pleasure?"

"Fine, but hurry it up," Paulina finally agreed as she and her friends moved to the side.

"You hear her. Grab him," Dash instructed has he pushed Danny backwards. He barely had time to catch himself before his arms were grabbed by two of the jocks.

Before he had a chance to throw his punch, Kwan grabbed his shoulder. "Hey, is this really the best place to do this? That one Ranger wasn't that far behind us."

"So?"

"Your buddy has a point," Sam spat as Tucker tried to hold her back. It was clear she was itching to hit someone in the shin with her combat boot. "If a Ranger catches you assaulting someone, not only could you lose your spot on the football team, you could get jail time."

Before Dash could make his decision, a scream rang out through the area. Everyone glanced around, but it didn't seem as if anyone found anything unusual. "Didn't that sound like Mikey?" Tucker asked after a moment.

"Drop him. That will definitely draw attention we don't want," Dash told his friends. "Mikey was up ahead of us, wasn't he?"

"I think so. Why?" Kwan questioned.

"We should go check on our other punching bag. Make sure he's not too hurt. Besides, maybe we'll learn something we can use to scare him with later. Come on." He beckoned them forward as he began following the trail again. The girls quickly followed him. The jocks holding Danny shared a look before letting him go.

"Hey, are you alright?"

Danny looked up to see Kwan watching him. "Yeah. I know you were trying to help out there. Thanks."

The football player nodded before he ran after his friends. Although Danny didn't exactly trust Kwan, he knew that he was a much kinder person than most of Dash's friends. Kwan really didn't want to be involved with the bullying, but was forced to go along with it for reasons Danny didn't quite understand.

"Do you think we should follow them?" Danny turned to see his friend's responses.

"Absolutely not!" Tucker shouted before Sam could respond. "Dude, didn't you notice that Dash is in one of his moods?"

"You're such a coward, Tucker." Sam grabbed his arm and began pulling him along the path. "He could need our help."

"Or we could get beaten to a pulp too."

"I'm with Sam on this one." When Tucker sent him a look a betrayal, Danny amended, "I mean, we don't have to get close if nothing is wrong, but if they need help, we can go get a Ranger. Didn't Kwan mention there should be one not too far away?"

"Fine, but don't expect me to get killed along with you."

…..

After a few minutes of walking, Danny and his friends first caught sight of Dash and his friends. They seemed to just be staring at something in the woods. The girls were nowhere nearby. Mikey was sitting on the ground at their feet and was crying inconsolably.

"What… what should we do?" Tucker whispered as they hid behind a nearby tree and monitored the situation.

The hair on the back of Danny's neck felt as if it was standing on end. As soon as they got to this area, something felt extremely wrong. "Although this goes against my desire for self-preservation, something's not right."

"You noticed it too?" Sam asked as she stepped out from around the tree and approached the group. "Hey! What's wrong?" Danny and Tucker shared a look before they followed her.

Mikey noticed them first. His glasses were somewhat foggy because of his tears. "Lester…" he choked out.

"What about Lester? Mikey, talk to us." Danny kneeled down so his distraught classmate wouldn't have to look up at him.

"He… he… we lost sight of him for just a moment," Mikey whispered as he grabbed Danny by the arms. His wide eyes almost made him look insane. "He didn't answer when we called him, and we didn't see any signs of him. After… after searching and not seeing him… Jimmy and Clark went off to tell Mr. Lancer. I stayed put just in case… Then… then something fell over there… and… and…" The sob that escaped the boy was somewhere in between a scream and absolute despair.

"What are you talking about? What happened?"

"Danny… I think you need to see something," Sam whispered as she shook his shoulder.

After gently prying Mikey's hands off of him, he stood up and looked at his friends. Both were incredibly pale, which was quite the feat for Tucker due to his naturally dark skin. Sam glanced at him before she pointed at something off the trail. At first, he had no idea what he was supposed to see, but after a moment, a soft dripping sound caught his attention. As he focused on that, he felt his blood run cold.

The dripping was coming from blood falling from a figure in a tree that was about thirty yards off. After a moment, he realized the figure was Lester. It almost looked as if someone had thrown him onto the branches, but with how limp his figure was and the strange pallor of his skin, Danny was convinced he was dead.

The sound of retching caught his attention. He turned to see Tucker wiping his mouth as he weakly straightened his posture. "That's… that's so messed up."

"We… we need to get help," Danny stammered as he glanced at the jocks. They all seemed to be in a trance. He snapped his fingers in front of Kwan's face. "Hey, hey! Come on! Snap out of it." The jock shook his head for a moment and glanced around before stumbling backwards into Dash. That seemed to break the rest of them out of their trance.

After a moment of confusion, Dash spotted Danny and once again grabbed him by the shirt. "Alright, Fenturd, you better have a good explanation of what happened!"

"Get off of me!" he snapped as he wrestled out of Dash's grip. "I don't know what happened either. You got here first, remember? I do know we need to alert the Rangers."

"Dash, what happened to the girls?" Lucas asked as he glanced around before he glared at Danny and his friends. "If you losers did anything to them…!"

"We haven't seen them since we got here," Sam replied as tried to help Mikey stand. He wasn't complying and had opted to stare at the ground. "Tucker, what are you doing? Don't tell me you're taking pictures."

"I am," he shakily told her as he tapped his phone. "I… I still can't get a signal. This way… we have a record of where we are… and, what the?!" As he spoke, another scream broke the silence of the forest.

"That sounded like Star!" Kwan yelled as he took off to investigate.

"Hey, wait up!" The rest of the football players quickly ran after him leaving Danny, Sam, and Tucker alone with Mikey, who still seemed dazed.

"I vote we try to get back to camp." Tucker had put his phone away and was glancing around nervously.

Danny nodded as he and Sam picked up Mikey. His frame was small and lanky, so he thankfully didn't weigh too much. Although he wasn't exactly responding to them, they were able to get him to walk by tugging on his wrist.

The group headed down the path as quickly as possible, but it wasn't fast enough for Danny's liking. The uneasy feeling he had when they first reached the area where they found Lester hadn't left. It felt like they were being watched and followed, and it made him want to run. As uncool as it was, he wanted to run away as fast as possible, but he couldn't leave his friends alone with whatever was lurking out there. He also couldn't just leave Mikey.

A glance at the shocked boy told Danny that he was having a hard time processing exactly what happened to his friend. Although Danny really couldn't say that he and Mikey were friends, he knew the boy enough to know that he and Lester were almost like brothers. It was understandable he couldn't function after witnessing that, but he really did wish the boy would move faster. They needed to get to a safer location, preferably sooner than later.

"Are we going to talk about it?" Sam hesitantly asked as they moved.

"Nah uh. No way. We're still out in the woods with something without any adults around. You saw what happened!" Tucker sounded frantic as he looked around the area.

"It can wait until we get back to camp," Danny agreed as he kept his eyes on the trail. A strange noise caught his attention, and after a moment, he stopped to listen.

"Dude, what are you doing? You can't stop now."

Danny shushed him as he listened. A strange sound, almost like a bird call but almost metallic, was coming from somewhere behind them. He turned to see if he could catch sight of whatever the source was, but he didn't notice anything out of the ordinary. After a few moments, the bird call was joined by the sound of rustling wings, but that also sounded almost metallic as there was a strange buzz to it.

"It's back!" Mikey suddenly shouted, causing the rest of them to jump. He then wrestled out of Sam and Danny's grips before he took off down the trail.

"Mikey! Come back! What's back?" Before Danny had a chance to go after him, Sam grabbed his arm and pointed to something in the trees.

A silvery flash caught his attention. As he watched it, he realized it looked like a skeletal bird made from some sort of metal. It finally came to a stop on a tree branch a few yards down the trail from them. Its eyes were an eerie red. After it appraised them, it let out a horrifying screech.

"I see you found the target!" an excited voice rang out from the woods.

Danny and his friends formed a tight circle with their backs on the inside as they scanned the area. No one seemed to be nearby. Other than the sound of the strange bird and their breathing, there were no other sounds. After a moment, a figure emerged from shadows of the forest.

The figure was the size of a young child and was carrying something over its shoulders. As it came closer, they could tell that it looked like a young boy, expect his skin was abnormally white, seemed to have green hair, and it almost seemed like he was glowing.

"Is that Mikey?" Tucker whispered as he pointed to what the strange glowing figure had over its shoulder.

"Get away from him!" Danny shouted, uncertain if it was even able to understand him.

"And what are you going to do about it?" The boy laughed as he watched them. "I was told I could take a playmate if I helped Plasmius get his target, so I'm not giving him back!"

"What should we do?" Tucker whispered as he took a few steps backwards. "I don't know what that thing is, but I don't think that's a person."

"I think you're right, but we need to help Mikey," Danny told him. "But I have no idea how to safely do that." Before he had a chance to make a decision, Sam threw a few rocks at the strange boy. However, they passed through him without any damage.

He stuck his tongue out at the group. "That was mean, but luckily for me, stuff like that can't do any damage." A devilish grin crossed his face as his hand began to glow a sickly green. "Although I'm not allowed to touch Plasmius' target, I'm allowed to have some fun with anyone else who gets trapped."

"Run?"

"Run!" Danny and Sam yelled in response to Tucker's question. The three of them quickly ran off down the trail.

As they moved, the forest around them seemed to grow darker and more menacing as the trail became harder to follow. After what felt like hours, the three of them finally came to a stop in a decently sized clearing as Tucker and Danny had reached their limit.

"Guys, I don't think this is normal." At Sam's strange statement, the boys looked at their surroundings. The trees appeared dead and were a strange and unnatural gray color. The sky above them was a radioactive green mixed in with swirls of a neon purple.

Someone behind them began clapping. They turned to see a figure wearing white approach them from the trees. Instead of being a child like the previous one, this one was clearly an adult male. Its skin was a sickly blue, and its dark hair almost looked like horns.

"You've led me on a merry chase," it told them. Its voice was cultured and confident. Danny caught a glimpse of fangs as it spoke "However, I was only supposed to take one of you. What exactly should I do with the extras?"

"You could let us go. Pretty please?" When Danny and Sam shot Tucker an incredulous look, he quickly defended himself. "What? It doesn't hurt to ask."

"I appreciate your attempt at civility," the creature told him. "However, it that is not something I can easily do. You see, it's fairly difficult to bring over more than one human at once with normal techniques. That bird of Youngblood's is something to behold. Its magic is just subtle enough to distract someone just long enough for one of us to take him or her. I must find out if I can get one of my own."

"Where are we? What are you?" Danny demanded, sounding a lot braver than he felt. This things was terrifying.

"It's rather rude to ask that, but you're clearly frightened, so allow me to explain. "I am called Plasmius, and this is the realm of the dead."

* * *

Note: shout out to anyone who caught my unintentional Superman reference. I'm serious; I didn't intend to do it. It just happened.

For the international readers, 1 yard is about 91 centimeters, and 1 foot is approximately 30.5 centimeters. Most Americans do learn the Metric System at one point or another during school, but we still use the Imperial System for most daily things. Scientific measurements are almost always in metric though. The powers to be have tried to convert us to metric, and it failed.

Also, like I previously said, I'm not certain exactly how dark or graphic I'm going to get with this story just yet. My mind has been telling me somethings, but I don't particularly like talking about gore due to personal preference (blood is a completely different matter), so I will probably just let your minds fill in the blanks unless I need to bring up a specific point.


	6. Chapter 6

As previously mentioned, this story is not beta'ed. I'm a bit worried about this chapter since I've been very sick for about a week and a half now (I'm finally on the mend), and it can be hard to proof read yourself, so please point out errors.

* * *

Chapter 6

"You're clearly frightened, so allow me to explain," the creature told them with a flourished bow. "I am called Plasmius, and this is the realm of the dead."

"And does that make you a ghost or something?" Sam spat, sounding both angry and skeptical.

"Something like that," Plasmius agreed before seemingly fading out of sight. Before they had a chance to response, he reappeared behind them. His red eyes appraised them, but specifically seemed to focus on Danny. "I've been watching you for a long time."

Danny slowly backed away from the so-called ghost as he sarcastically stated, "I'm not sure if I should be flattered or scared."

"Now Daniel, that's no way to speak to an old friend."

"Psst, do you know this guy?" Tucker whispered as he also tried to escape from its gaze.

"Last time I checked, I didn't know anyone this creepy or glowing."

"I understand your doubts." Plasmius grinned, revealing glistening fangs. "Sadly, it's rare for humans to remember their time in this realm, but when you wandered in this realm before, I played with and entertained you until you found your way home. We then played again when you were a bit older, but again, you found your way home."

"Err… thanks? I think." Danny still wasn't sure what to make of this creature. Something told him Plasmius wasn't exactly lying, but he was certainly omitting important details. Still, if it was going to be somewhat cordial towards him and his friends, it wouldn't hurt to try to be nice. "You wouldn't happen to know how we can get home, would you?"

"Of course I do."

"Great! Could you please take us there or at least tell us how?"

"You want to leave already? But you've only just arrived, and I've put an extraordinary amount of effort into arranging our reunion." Plasmius' grin turned predatory. "Come with me. I would gladly entertain you and your friends."

"Thanks for the offer, but we really should be getting back," Danny told the specter as he grabbed both of his friends and tried to get them to back away. "Our teacher and classmates are probably looking for us."

"And not to mention the Park Rangers are already on high alert," Tucker added.

"Do you really think I am concerned about them?" Plasmius just laughed as he vanished again. His disembodied voice seemed to come from everywhere in the clearing.

Danny had just enough time to turn to his right side and catch sight of Plasmius reappearing before something hit him in the back of the neck. As his vision darkened, he heard his friends screaming his name as well as Plasmius saying, "Like I previous stated, I spent a lot of time orchestrating our meeting. You are not leaving that easily."

….

When Danny came to, he was in an unfamiliar location. He was seated at a grand table, much like he had seen in movies depicting royal banquets. The room where he was had high ceilings and seemed to match the feel of the table. The walls seemed to be white stone, but something seemed off about them. He wasn't certain if it was something about the color itself, or if it was how empty the room seemed because aside from the table, there were no noticeable decorations.

He then noticed there were silver plates and bowls covered in pristine and delicious looking food in front of him. As interesting and enticing the food looked, he wasn't really able to determine exactly what they were. It made him uneasy, but the smell was starting to overcome him. It wouldn't hurt to take a bite, would it? A quick shake of the head quickly dispelled that thought. Without knowing exactly where he was or where his friends were, he shouldn't touch anything he didn't recognize.

After glancing around and making sure he was alone, he tried to stand only to find that he seemed stuck to his chair. He could move his hands and arms without trouble, but everywhere from his waist down was stuck. There was no sign of any visible tie or restraint, so he couldn't understand exactly why he couldn't remove himself. He made several attempts to try to stand, and although he was able to push the chair away from the table, his attempts only succeeded in tipping himself over.

"Why Daniel, you didn't touch your meal." Danny looked up to see Plasmius looking down at him while wearing a frown. The creature then disappeared and reappeared on the other side of the table and took a seat as Danny's chair seemed to right itself without any form of assistance and return to its place at the table.

"I think I'll pass," he replied as he glared at Plasmius. "Where are my friends? Why can't I get out of this chair?"

"Your friends are resting in a room upstairs. As for the chair," he chuckled darkly, "it is nothing but a simple trick. You might learn how to do it one day."

"What do you mean by that?"

"It's nothing with which you should concern yourself." Plasmius appraised him for a few moments. "You mentioned you have no memory of our previous encounters?"

"That's right. I only remember what happened after I was found."

"It's tragic really. There are weak spots between the worlds of the living and the dead, and humans occasionally find them. Usually, it is not an issue. The human may feel uneasy or sometimes get a glimpse of what lies behind the veil, so to speak." After chuckling as if he had made some sort of inside joke, Plasmius continued. "Sometimes that weak spot momentarily breaks and travel between the two words can occur. However, humans often need to catch sight of or hear something in this realm to travel to this side."

Danny's eyes widened. "You mean like that bird thing?"

"Exactly. Like I mentioned, Youngblood's pet is incredibly usefully for that purpose."

"So you purposely used that to bring me and my friends here?"

"Of course. Although, my intention was only to retrieve you. Their presence was entirely unintentional, but seeing how close you seem to be, in hindsight, it seems it would have been inevitable. You should be glad I am the one who found them as I can guarantee their safety. Others who live in this realm may not be as kind."

A cold chill ran down Danny's back at Plasmius' words as the image of Mikey being carried by that other creature resurfaced. "One of my other classmates… that thing took him, and Lester! Something killed him!"

"Yes," Plasmius' tone now sounded almost bored. "Youngblood is simply looking for a permanent companion. I doubt he'll purposely harm your classmate too severely, but humans don't always acclimate to this realm very well. I believe that is what happened to the one who passed on to this side."

"What do you mean? What happened to him?" Once again, Danny tried to stand, but to no avail.

"Ah ah, that is a discussion we should save for later. You should eat, son."

"I'm not hungry." Danny breathed deeply as he tried to keep his temper under control. It didn't seem to be a good idea to make Plasmius angry, and he still wasn't certain if his friends were okay. "Look, I know you're trying to be nice, and I appreciate it, but I'm worried about my friends. People are probably looking for us."

Plasmius regarded him for a moment. "If I show you that your friends are safe, will you then sit and have a proper conversation with me?"

"Maybe? Yes. I don't know."

"Very well." The ghost stood and made a dismissive gesture with his hand. "Come along now, Daniel. I will take you to your friends."

After giving him a searching look, Danny hesitantly tried to stand. This time, he was able to move without restraint. Once he was out of the chair, the urge to bolt nearly over took him. Although he really wanted to be as far away from Plasmius as he could, running from his could potentially doom his friends. That was the last thing he wanted. So, after a deep breath, he slowly followed Plasmius towards the staircase at the far end of the room.

What seemed to be several minutes passed as Danny followed Plasmius. The building they were in seemed to be either a mansion or possibly a castle, if he was to judge from how large it was. The coloration was similar to what he saw in the dining hall, but there were other decorations of green and gold in places. Strangely, those decorations seemed almost out of place, but Danny was unable to exactly pinpoint why.

Although Plasmius previously demonstrated an ability to at least float, he was now walking a little ahead of the teen. It just felt off to Danny. It was as if Plasmius was purposely trying to seem more human. While it was possible his host was just trying to be polite, it was doing little more than making him more unsettled.

Eventually, Plasmius stopped in front of a room. After taking a moment to unlock the door, he pushed it open. Danny was briefly greeted with the sight of his friends standing up from a large bed when the door was slammed shut.

"Sam! Tucker! I'm right here!" He could hear his friends yelling his name as he slammed his fists on the door and tried to push it back open. "What gives?" he demanded as he turned to face the specter.

"I promised I would show you that your friends are perfectly safe, and I did." Plasmius' grin widened as he grabbed Danny's arm. The teen tried to break free, but the ghost's grip was almost like a vice. "Now boy, it is time for our long overdue conversation."

….

Although Sam liked to think of herself as a strong and independent young woman who could handle herself in most situations, she had to admit that she was at a loss on what to do. When she came to, she and Tucker where in what appeared to be a guest bedroom. Other than the normal furniture, the quality of which suggested the own had some money, there was little in the way of decoration, so it was unlikely the room was often used. There was one window which was locked, but Sam was unable to find any sort of mechanism that would allow her to open it. The only visible door was also locked.

"Pacing angrily around the room isn't going to do anything," Tucker told her as he fiddled with his PDA as he sat on the bed. She just glared at him. "Seriously, you're making me dizzy."

"I'm just frustrated," she sat across from him on the bed. "We don't know where we are, and we have no idea where Danny is, or what that thing could have done to him. And to make matters worse, I can't figure out how to get out of this."

"I know, and I'm upset too, but until we have more information, we can't do anything." After pressing a few buttons on his machine, he smiled at the notification he received. "While I can't tell you where we are, I was able to get a hit from Danny's phone. He's at least in this building."

"I don't think that makes me feel any better. We don't know what that think wants with Danny or what it will do with us."

"I'm trying not to think about it." Tucker looked up from his devise. His frown and furrowed brows told her he was worried. "Hey, do you happen to have any food with you?"

"Told you should have packed some before we left." Sam momentarily left the bed to retrieve her discarded backpack. "I know you probably won't like it, but I did bring some granolas with me."

"I'll take it," Tucker told her, much to her surprise, as he held out his hand. "I'm that hungry, and I think my brain needs the extra energy. There's no service here either, but my PDA keeps trying to connect with something. I've been trying to get into whatever it is, but I'm not sure if there's interference or if its purposely cycling between strong and weak signals. If I can get into it, maybe I can send a distress signal."

She handed him the snack. "It's worth a shot. Hey, what was that?"

The sound of something at the door caught Sam's attention. After an audible click, the door opened to show Plasmius and someone else. It took a second for her to register the second person, but it was Danny. Getting to her feet, she was about to run to him only to have the door slam shut before she had a chance to move.

That didn't stop her. She screamed Danny's name as she bolted to the door and started to try to open it. She barely registered that Tucker was right beside her, or that she could faintly hear Danny's voice on the opposite side. Her next memories were a bit hazy, but Tucker eventually had her sit as she tried to calm herself.

Her memories kept showing her that momentary glimpse of Danny. Something happened to him. Something strange, but she was having trouble registering what was wrong. "Tucker, his hair was white. Not black, white."

"I know. I saw him too." He sat next to her and rubbed her shoulder.

"You seem a bit distressed, hmm." The two teens looked up to see Plasmius floating above them. "Do not fret. Young Daniel is safe with me, but I still have yet to determine what I should do with you two."

"What did you do to Danny?" Sam snapped at him as she stood. She would not look weak in front of this thing.

"Who me? I didn't do anything to him. His body is just adjusting to this world."

"What… what are you talking about?" Tucker stammered as he also stood.

Plasmius smiled. "If you partake of the land of the dead, you must remain in it, or so the old adage goes. When he was a child, Daniel did so, and as he has returned, this world has laid claim to him. I'm actually very impressed as the process often goes awry. I can't tell you how many times I've seen it happen."

"Are you telling me that Danny's becoming like you?" The thought horrified Sam. What else on her friend would change? Did… did Plasmius mean Danny would actually die?

"I certainly hope so, but I'm not exactly sure what form he'll take. This world can do strange things to the humans it turns, but enough about that. I came here to debate what to do with you two." Plasmius regarded the pair for a few moments before he began to pace about a foot off the floor. "I could simply kill the two of you, but Daniel would not appreciate the loss of his two friends. I could let you go, but that could cause me unnecessary trouble. While it is unlikely you will remember your time here, it is possible, and letting you go too soon could bring unwanted attention. Oh, I know," the grin he gave them sent chills down Sam's spine, "I could try to induce the process in the two of you."

"Don't you come near us!" Sam warned as she crouched in a defensive stance. She was still stuck against the door, but there was no way she was going to let that thing touch her again.

"Hey, don't antagonize him!" Tucker whispered. "I'm just as scared of him, but maybe we can use this. He doesn't seem to want to kill us now, and if he can get us out of this room…"

Maybe they would get led to Danny, and maybe the three of them could escape. It was the best plan they had since there didn't seem to be a way out of the room, but if it failed… Actually, Sam wasn't exactly sure what would happen if they failed.

Tucker seemed to have thoughts along the same line, so he asked, "What exactly are you going to do?"

"Ah, so you are interested. The easiest method is to eat some of the food of this world, but the results are not always guaranteed. After all the experiments I've run, it seems like young children have the highest success rate."

"And what happens if it fails?" Sam questioned, uncertain if she would like the answer. "And what experiments? You've been kidnapping humans?"

Plasmius' smile disappeared as his eyes narrowed. "I want young Daniel to remain with me, but humans cannot remain in the realm of the dead indefinitely, so I wanted to make sure his transformation would be successful. I don't expect you to understand my rationale or methods." He moved closer and looked them over carefully. If Sam had to guess, it seemed as if he was trying to determine something regarding the process he mentioned. "The question becomes how to do this successfully. I certainly don't want Daniel upset if this fails and you end up dead and possibly horribly mutilated."

"What?"

"It sadly happens sometimes." Vlad dismissing tone and wave of the hand made it sound as if that was of no concern of his. "When the process fails, it simply kills, but sometimes the process begins and fails, and that is when the more interesting deaths occur. Some of the results are quite gruesome. That is what happened to the man who went missing prior to your arrival."

"How… how did you know about that?" Tucker whispered. His eyes were wide, and he was shaking.

"How else? I'm the one who took him."

* * *

I know I'm going to receive complaints about the cliff hanger, but I need to end it here. I have a reason which deals with how I want to proceed.

Note: regarding Plasmius' explanations, I am heavily drawing from mythology and legends here. Many stories from around the world state that if you partake of the food of another realm (whether it be the dead, the gods, faeries, etc.), you will be permanently stuck there. In some tales, you remain as a human, and in others, you are transformed. There are other tales that state you can leave, but you will die when you return.

Regarding the more gruesome details, this again comes from some of the reported tales regarding mysterious deaths. In the cases mentioned in the Missing 411 series, if the missing person was found dead, the cause of death is often undetermined, and there aren't usually severe injuries – maybe some scrapes or bruises. However, there are some strange stories reported by Park Rangers and Search and Rescue regarding people they've found who are rather… well… we'll go with messed up and leave it at that. In those cases that can't be explained by an animal, an accident, self-inflicted, or other person, the Rangers and/or Search and Rescue are often at a loss to explain what happened.

So, this is how brain has taken it for this story regarding deaths. Missing and never found – successfully becomes a ghost. Missing and found, intact – process failed or killed by ghost. Missing and found, not intact – process started and failed or killed by ghost. The killed by ghost mention will get explained later, although it was briefly alluded to in this chapter. There are certain things I'm hoping to explain within the story in a later chapter, but if that changes, there will still be a note which will explain it.


	7. Chapter 7

Happy Halloween! I managed to get the chapter up in time. ;)

Before we start, I would like to say thank you for the amount of support I've received. I've been blown away by the reviews and the sheer number of favorites and follows. You guys are awesome!

* * *

Chapter 7

Danny was incredibly unnerved by the turn of events. After his ultimatum, Plasmius somehow pulled him through the floor and sat him back at the same table as before. If he had to describe the experience, it was a mix of having his stomach drop while his body went entirely numb, and if he was honest, for a brief moment, it felt like his body didn't exist. It left him chilled to the core, although he wasn't certain if that chill was mental, physical, or a mixture of the two.

Plasmius didn't seem bothered by the action, which would make sense if he really was a ghost. However, it was clear he wasn't in the same cordial mood as before. Instead, he seemed both impatient and distracted at the same time. He didn't speak. He just stared at Danny as if he was waiting for something.

"You're creeping me out," Danny told him when the staring got too much to handle. "Look, you wanted to talk to me, and it's not like I can go anywhere." Like before, he was once again stuck to the chair, but this time he noticed there seemed to be a faintly glowing green substance. If he had to guess, that was what was keeping him in place. "How about you explain how we originally met? You said you helped me when I got lost before, right?"

"That I did," Plasmius replied as his posture relaxed. "It's not every day a young boy appears at the door steps of my castle. While I'm not exactly sure what lured you to this realm first, I do know you appeared frightened and asked for my assistance. Normally, I would have turned a child away, but something about you caught my interest so I provided you with food, shelter, and entertainment until a weak spot, a portal so to speak, between the realms once again formed."

"You had piqued my interest so much that I kept a watch on you over the years," he continued as watched Danny closely. "I believe you may have caught glimpses of me, but we didn't meet face to face again until you wandered into the woods behind your house one particular day. Once again, I entertained you until you could make it back on your own."

Plasmius' story seemed plausible, but there was something about it that was bothering Danny. Something important was being omitted, but he was at a loss to understand what that might be. What would make this ghost so interested in him of all people? "Are you sure you have the right person? I mean, I'm pretty average."

The ghost gave him an incredulous look. "You are the only son of doctors Madeline and Jack Fenton, are you not? Aren't you the same boy who went missing for a week when you were out berry picking with your aunt and sister?"

"I am, but…"

"But you do not understand why you're here, correct?" When Danny hesitantly nodded, Plasmius gave him a chilling grin. "Simple, I've been looking for an heir. Over the years, I've had plenty of workers and servants, but none of them have met the criteria. You, on the other hand, have the potential that only a handful ever have."

"I still don't understand…" Danny was sure Plasmius was now playing with him, and it was giving him a headache. Actually, was it a headache? Or did he still feel off from going through the floor earlier? He leaned his head against the back of the chair and closed his eyes.

"You'll understand in due time." There was a strange pause. When Plasmius spoke again, he seemed concerned. "Daniel? Daniel, what's wrong? Butter biscuits. You appeared to be responding so well previously… Is this a backlash?"

Danny felt his body suddenly lurk forward. He barely registered that his back was no longer stuck to the chair as his vision swam. In an attempt to calm his head, he rested his head in his hands and breathed steadily. His body shuddered every so often as chills started, and a groan escaped him. This was the worst timing for him to get sick.

He could vaguely sense that Plasmius was now beside him. The ghost carefully touched his shoulder and then forehead before unexpectedly lifting him. When he tried to protest, Plasmius ignored him and plunged them both through the floor.

….

"How else? I'm the one who took him."

A creeping fear gripped Sam. Although she had known the specter should not be trusted, she hadn't quite expected him to be forthcoming regarding deaths. Although, she did had to acknowledge that death might not be as big of a taboo to a ghost, it did nothing to ease her concerns.

"I find it best to test my plans ahead of time," Plasmius continued. He seemed to be enjoying her and Tucker's fear. "And with such a varied success rate, it was better to use as many test subjects as possible. Hmm… I forgot it is possible for Daniel to lose part, if not all of his memory. Should I wait to act until after the process finishes?" He continued to mutter to himself for a few moments before he grew very still.

"Is it just me," she whispered, making Tucker jump, "or does it seem like he's distracted?"

"I think you're right," he agreed as he gave her a searching look, "and, that's going to help us how?"

"He might have keys or something. I mean, he locked us in here somehow."

"Sam, he didn't use the door, and I don't think attempting to tackle someone who openly admitted to murder will end up going too well for us."

"Do you have any better ideas?"

The two of them stared at each other for a few seconds before Tucker sighed. "On three?"

Normally, Sam would say something smart regarding her victory, but this wasn't the time for it. "On three," she agreed.

Instead of their normal verbal countdown, Sam used her fingers to count. When she reached three, the two of them lunged at Plasmius. Instead of hitting something solid, Sam felt like she had been plunged into a bucket of ice water before she and Tucker crashed into the ground. She was stunned for a second before she glanced towards the ghost. He was still there. How…?

As if he read her mind, the ghost sneered at her. "Such a pity. That may have worked on a human, but if you didn't know, most ghosts can become intangible. But enough of these games, I have need of your assistance. It appears Daniel isn't doing quite as well as I hoped."

"What did you do to him?" Sam demanded as she scrambled to her feet.

"I haven't done a thing!" Plasmius pinched the bridge of his nose before sighing. "I don't have time for this. Come here." Sam and Tucker barely had time to react before Plasmius lunged forward, grabbed them by the arm, and pulled them through the floor.

After the freezing sensation subsided, Sam glanced around and gasped. She and Tucker were now in what appeared to be a modern lab, and in the middle of it was what appeared to be an examination table. After a double take, she realized there was a second Plasmius hovering over it.

The Plasmius who brought them to the room moved to the other one as disappeared into it. The now singular Plasmius turned to look at them, and by doing so, she had a better view of the examination table and who was on it.

"Danny!" she and Tucker shouted. She tried to run towards him, but Plasmius blocked their way.

"Don't shout," he snapped at them. "Daniel is in a precarious situation."

"Oh, so now you show concern?"

"I told you, I don't wish any harm on him. However," he glanced behind him at the unconscious boy. He was very still, but his shuddering breaths indicated he was still alive. However, his appearance seemed to ripple. His hair was still white, but it would momentarily flicker to black. His skin now seemed to have turned a strange tan, almost the same color as very old paper, but it would fade back to the healthy and pale skin tone Danny naturally had, "his body can't figure out which form it needs to take, and I can't have him completely dying on me."

Sam shared a look with Tucker. That statement didn't make any sense. If he was a ghost and wanted Danny to stay with him, why wouldn't he want Danny to die?

"What exactly do you need us for?" Tucker hesitantly questioned.

"Right now, I simply need you to watch him. There is research I must do before I take further action." A strange, almost smug grin appeared on his face which gave Sam the creeps. "Perhaps it was an unexpected blessing you ended up coming as well. If Daniel's condition continues going south, then I might be able to use your blood to strengthen him."

"Our… our what?"

"You have no idea how much power the essence of life holds for the dead. Putting that aside, that is not something I would consider unless it becomes absolutely necessary as Daniel would not appreciate it, no matter how noble the cause." He regarded them carefully for a moment. "I will return shortly." Plasmius took a few floating steps forward before he faded out of sight.

Sam let out a breath she didn't realize she was holding. That… that think was seriously considering using their blood? As sick as it sounded, she had a nagging feeling she had come across that same concept before. Something about providing clarity? She quickly brushed the idea aside. She was probably just remembering something that came out of one of her gothic horror stories, and fiction was not what she needed at that moment.

Now that Plasmius was gone, she carefully approached Danny. His brows were furrowed, and he wore a slight frown as he rested, but there was a slight sheen of sweat on his forehead. If it wasn't for the weird thing his skin and hair was doing, she would have guessed he was just fighting off a fever. Maybe that's what was wrong. Maybe his body was fighting off some ghostly bug. It was as just as plausible as anything else this world had to offer.

"Danny?" she hesitantly whispered as she gently shook his shoulder. When he didn't respond, she began a little more forceful as she tried to ignore how cold he felt.

"Wha…?" Danny's voice was incredibly sleepy as he finally stirred. He tried to sit up, but immediately fell back to laying flat. "What happened? Did someone catch… urgh… the license plate on that truck?"

Despite herself, she let out a weak chuckle. "I think that's one thing ghosts might not have. How are you feeling?"

"I dunno… I've heard of ghost trucks before." Now that he was more awake, it was obvious Danny was not doing well. Even though he was still trying to joke, his voice was weak and soft. When his eyes opened and flickered towards her, she noticed they were now a dull green. "Sam? When did you…?" His eyes widened in alarm, and he tried to sit up. Worried, she tried to help him. "Where's Tucker? Where did Plasmius… ugh…"

As Danny held his head, Tucker came over to him. "You might want to take it easy. We're perfectly fine, but you look like Dash got a hold of you that one time when he was nearly suspended after breaking that freshman's leg."

"That bad? Plasmius didn't do anything to you?"

"I mean, he did lock us in a room and kinda threatened us."

Danny's eyes momentarily became a brighter green at Tucker's statement. "That asshole! I thought he was just interested in me." He tried to inch towards the edge of the table but stopped as he swayed. "Woah…"

"Dude, I mean it, you should take it easy right now. We're fine. He didn't actually hurt us, yet."

"Tucker! What he means is that Plasmius was debating what to do with us, but since he seems to want to stay on your good side, he's not interested in hurting us." Sam deliberately left out Plasmius' mention about them possibly becoming like him and whatever Danny might be. Did Danny even know what was happening to him? Biting her lip, she hesitantly asked, "Err, what happened to you?"

"I… I really don't know. I think Plasmius just talked to me, but I don't know what happened between that weird forest… and… and waking up at that table. I started feeling sick after he phased me through the floor after he showed me you two were okay." He glanced around. "Where are we exactly? Is this a lab?"

"It is," Tucker responded. Sam looked over to see he was fiddling with one of the computers. "I finally figured out that this is where that signal from earlier was coming from, but I don't understand why a ghost would have computers like this." He tapped a few buttons which caused the screen in front of him to change. "Well, that was easy. Let's see what he's up to?" After a few more taps, a folder opened. "Oh? Oh my god….!"

Concerned by the tone of his voice, Sam went over to investigate. It was a decision she was fairly certain she was going to regret for the rest of her life. The images on the screen… they had to be some of Plasmius' failed experiments. "I'm going to be sick. Tucker! Change it!"

"What? What is it?" Danny called from the table.

"It… it's nothing. Don't worry about it." Tucker quickly minimized the folder. Catching he didn't completely log out of it, she sent him a questioning glance. He just pointed towards his PDA, which looked like it was downloading something. With a start, she realized he was downloading the files onto his PDA. "In case we make it out of here," he explained as he opened a second folder.

This time, it just appeared to be a bunch of employee profiles. However, there were two major company logos that kept appearing on the profiles: VladCo and DALV. "Wait, are these Vlad's employees? Why would a ghost have files on them?"

"Sam, I think these are most of the victims," Tucker whispered to her. "If… if I didn't know better, it almost seems like he's been specifically targeting them."

A strange idea crossed Sam's mind. It was so incredulous, but that the same time, she couldn't shake it. "Do… do you think Vlad is working for or with Plasmius?"

Tucker gave her a long hard look. "I really hope that's not the case, but how else would Plasmius get technology like this?"

"And didn't Plasmius say he arranged this meeting with Danny? And we saw Vlad at camp. Was he there to double check things?"

"Guys?" Danny's hesitant and distressed question brought Sam and Tucker's attention back to him. He was staring at his hand, or where his hand was supposed to be. It was gone, but there was no sign of blood or trauma. It was just gone. After a moment, it faded back into visibility. "Guys, what's happening to me?"

"I… I really don't know Danny," Sam truthfully replied. "It might have something to do with us being here. I mean, Plasmius did say this was the land of the dead." She tried not to wince as she fibbed. If Danny was in the dark regarding what happened to him, she really didn't want to alarm him, especially when she didn't know to fix it.

Tucker seemed to catch her reasoning as he added, "It might stop when we get out of here."

Danny tried to glare at them but was unable to muster much of one as he swayed again. "Guys, I know you're hiding something. What's… hey, what was that?"

"What do you mean?"

"Shh! Listen!"

A grinding sound slowly filled the room. The three looked around to try to find a source, but it seemed to come from thin air. After a moment, Sam caught movement. One of the floor's large flagstones was beginning to shift. 

* * *

Note: Plasmius' slip up was done on purpose. Yay foreshadowing.

Also, drawing back into mythology/legends for the blood thing. If you travel all the way back to ancient Greece, there was a believe that the way for a ghost or shade to recover its senses and sense of self was to provide it with blood. This can be human or animal, and this is actually referenced in _The Odyssey_. This is because the Greeks believed the spirit and blood were closely tied together, which is also seen in Vampiric lore. (I had to look this up because I was doubting my recollection of Greek mythology).

This concept of providing some form of essence to other realms continued, but as time passed, it became more associated with food offerings. Those of the other realms did not 'eat' the food, but instead they took what is best phrased as the vitality, essence, or energy of it. This force, for lack of a better term, is sometimes referred to as _foyson_ or _toradh_. The food offering varies from culture to culture. And interestingly, if food was not offered, then the otherworldly forces took revenge and/or brought misfortune.

So, for this story, "food" is very important… and I don't think I originally set out to do that. From what I understand, most of you have guessed Danny is still a 'halfa' for this story, and since, like previously mentioned for this AU, food is the easiest to acquire, use, and understand, Plasmius is using the duality between what's found in the realm of the dead and the world of the living to try to keep Danny's two halves balanced during his transition. Human blood is a more potent carrier of this essence, so as things go south, he's considering it.

Also, per this story, the blood thing is yet another reason humans are sometimes taken by ghosts. There are a lot of possible reasons for abductions in this story.


	8. Chapter 8

Chapter finished. I had a touch of difficulty with it. So tired. So much work related stress, and a few episodes of cats attacking the charger cord.

* * *

Chapter 8

"Hey, is it just me, or is the floor moving?" Danny questioned as he stared at the moving stone.

"No, it's not just you," Sam confirmed as she glanced at her friend. Although he was sitting rod straight as he watched, his coloration was still flickering, and there now seemed to be a green tinge to his cheeks.

"Don't you think we should run?" Tucker's question nearly made Sam snort. With Danny getting worse, there was no way he'd be able to escape with them.

Before anyone had a change to respond, the stone completely lifted and shifted to the side, exposing a hole. Seconds later, a furry head popped out. They watched in silent horror as it flicked one of its ears as if hear them and turned to face them.

The face that greeted them was terrifying. If Sam had to describe it, the appearance was like an angry polar bear who happened to have icy horns. Maybe calling it a yeti would be more accurate, but she could argue with herself about the semantics once she was out of this mess.

They just stared at the thing in the floor until it smiled at them. Whatever spell its sudden appearance held over them was broken, and they yelled in terror. There where several seconds of confusion as the three of them tried to escape. Tucker was halfway to the door while Sam tried to help Danny, who had fallen off the table, when the thing spoke.

"Children, please do not be alarmed," it gently requested as it raised itself up from the floor. Its entire body was covered in that same white fur, save for its one arm, which appeared to be made from ice. In an almost bemused afterthought, Sam noted it wore a blue clothing article which may have been a kilt. "We don't have much time before Plasmius returns."

When they didn't respond of move, the creature continued to speak as it tried to look as non-threatening as possible. "I am call Frostbite, the leader of the Far Frozen. I am lucky to have found out about you when I did. Plasmius has killed many humans in his experiments. If you allow me, I will help you return to your home."

"Why should we trust you? How do we know you won't take us somewhere and eat us?" Tucker demanded as he inched closer to Danny and Sam.

It laughed heartily at Tucker's question. "Myself as well as my clan do not eat people. We have made it the goal of our afterlives to try to assist as many wayward humans as we possibly can." Frostbite's smile faded. "However, I acknowledge your concern. This is the first time we have met, and if Plasmius has been your first encounter with the those of us from this realm, then you most likely do not think highly of us." It, possibly he, glanced at Danny as his coloration cycled again. "You are ill, and if you do not leave this place soon, you may not be able to return to the land of the living."

There was a tense moment as Sam and the boys stared at Frostbite. It… no, he… seemed genuine. Although his face was frightening, his eyes were sincere and almost seemed to plead with them.

"Alright," Danny eventually stated as he slowly stood, "but, you have to swear you won't hurt them!"

"I swear it on my honor, young one."

"Psst, Danny, what are you doing?" Tucker angrily whispered as he tugged on Danny's sleeve. "Are you trying to get us killed?"

"Call me crazy, but I think it's much less risky to go with him then it is to stay here and wait for Plasmius," Danny responded as he tested his footing. "He's a lot more honest than Plasmius, that's for sure."

"You noticed it too?" Sam was impressed he picked up on it. Although, Danny was often clueless when it came to certain social cues, particularly flirting, he did have an amazing talent for picking up on whether someone was being honest.

Tucker looked at both of them for a disbelieving moment before he shook his head. "Alright. I'll follow your lead on this, but if we get eaten, I'm blaming you."

"Young one, do you require assistance?" Frostbite asked as he eyed Danny, who appeared to be somewhat lightheaded as he tried to walk.

"It's Danny, and no, I can handle it."

A frown crossed Frostbite's face for a moment before he scurried forward and scooped Danny into his arms. "I understand your desire to escape on your own, but you are not well, and time is of the essence." Frostbite then instructed Sam and Tucker to enter the hole in the floor first. Once they were safely inside which was revealed to be a tunnel, he handed Danny to them. He then entered the tunnel and carefully replaced the floor's stone.

There was little light in the tunnel save for the slight glow Frostbite and occasionally Danny produced. As if sensing their concern, Frostbite held up his hand (or was it more of a paw?) and created a soft blue light. "This way, children," he instructed as he began to walk. "I am sorry I cannot produce a better light source, but if I generate much more energy, Plasmius may discover our location."

"I was wondering why we were doing things so old school," Tucker whispered.

As Sam rolled her eyes at him. If it wasn't for the fact she and Tucker were both supporting Danny as they walked, she probably would have smacked him for being rude. But, his statement did bring up an interesting point. "So, you could have gotten us out in an easier way, but Plasmius would have caught us?"

"Correct. Most sentient ghosts can easily phase through walls, unless the object is something native to this world or is coated in something that disrupts our powers or repels us. Plasmius' palace is unusual as much of it is created from materials taken from the human realm, but his reputation and the barrier he uses is able to keep most ghosts away. He is very unkind to trespassers." Frostbite glanced back at them. "I know young Danny's name, but I have yet to learn yours."

As weird as it sounded, Sam was embarrassed by that lapse in courtesy. She quickly introduced herself, and Tucker followed suit.

"Sam and Tucker! Such fitting names!" The strange ghost seemed pleased, but after a moment, he stopped walking, so he could turn and look at them. "Please alert me immediately if you notice you are not feeling well or notice something strange about yourself." After they promised, Frostbite nodded and continued forward. "This world can do strange things to those who unintentionally enter it, and there are many ways the changes can occur."

"Can… can I ask a question?" Once Frostbite agreed, Danny continued, "I'm sorry if this is a bit rude, but were you human?"

"That I was." The ghost didn't appear bothered by the question. "While many of my human memories have faded over time, I do remember that I was once an explorer. As for how I came this this realm, I am uncertain, but I do know that by the time I once again found a way back to the world of the living, I appeared much how you see me now. Many of my clan seem were also explorers or those who spent a great deal of time in the woods or mountains. We are not sure why we have taken this form, but we use it to our advantage. We often patrol areas where portal formation is common and try to scare humans away from them. However, more recently we have been finding more and more humans who seem to be looking for us." He seemed absolutely puzzled by the concept.

Sam shared a look with her friends. Did that mean that he and his clan were what people considered Bigfoot? Maybe she was reading too much into it, but that's what it seemed like.

"So, does that happen to everyone who dies? Cuz I don't know if I can handle the fact I might not keep these good looks when I die," Tucker whined.

The soft blue light flickered as Frostbite chuckled. "I don't believe you have to worry. While it is possible, you are unlikely to become a ghost if you expire outside of this realm. However, I am no expert regarding the mysteries of life and death."

"But what happens if you die here?" It was Sam's turn to ask a question.

"It seems to vary. Some die, but their souls do not remain here. For others, their body and soul mingle and change, creating a ghost."

"That almost sounds like a zombie," Sam mumbled to herself.

Frostbite chuckled again. "I understand why you would think as such. However, zombies can only exist in your world. They are corpses reanimated, often through magic, but lack a soul. For us, our earthly bodies are somehow a catalyst for the new form our soul takes, but even though I have seen it happen, I do not understand the process."

His explanation somewhat made sense, Sam mused. It also lined up with what Plasmius mentioned about how his experiments didn't always work. Although, it posed a more troubling question. What exactly would happen to Danny? If he really did die and become a ghost, did that mean there would be no body for his family to bury? It was a troubling thought that wouldn't go away no matter how much Sam tried to think of something else.

However, something Sam also noted was that Danny was avoiding asking questions regarding what was happening to him. Other than when his hands flickered in and out of visibility in the lab, he hadn't brought up the subject. It was possible he was focusing on escaping. However, with the new knowledge Frostbite had given them, he was probably in some sort of denial. She wasn't certain if she'd be able to be as calm if she was the one affected.

What seemed like an hour later, although her sense of time could have been altered due to the darkness, they finally reached the end of the tunnel. It wasn't a moment too soon as Danny had fainted when they had first caught sight of the exit. Once outside, she and Tucker carefully sat Danny down, so they could take a quick break. Once she was certain Danny was settled, she took the chance to look around.

In front of them was a think yet somewhat dead looking forest, like what they first found themselves in when they fled from the first ghost. Behind her was the tunnel which had been cut into what appeared to be a rock outcropping. If it wasn't for the strange coloration, it could have looked like something found in the forests back home.

She started when Frostbite gave a quick whistle. Moments later, four more ghosts who had similar appearances to Frostbite appeared from within the forest. They had to be part of the clan the ghost had mentioned while they were escaping. The group exchanged a few words before Frostbite beckoned to the humans behind him.

"Children, do not be alarmed. These are members of my clan, and they will be assisting us in your escape. However, we need to stop at our realm first as we have an object that will help us locate when and where a portal will open. I would also like to assess Danny's health." The ghost frowned at the form of the unconscious teenager. "You have probably guessed this realm has a grip on him, but he is resisting the change more intensely than I have ever seen."

"That means he'll be able to come home with us, right?" Tucker's question was full of a wary hope.

"I am… uncertain. We may have to seek the wisdom of an older entity to know for sure."

…

The world wouldn't stop spinning when Danny finally came to. After rolling over and relieving the contents of his stomach, he finally was able to think clearly enough to take stock of his surroundings. He was in what appeared to be some type of medical room. Although the walls appeared to be made of ice, there was a light and almost friendly atmosphere about the place.

A sound caught his attention, and he turned just in time to see white creature duck out of the room. Puzzled at the reaction, it wasn't until it returned to the room with Frostbite that he realized it was simply retrieving the other ghost.

"You've wakened, young one!" Frostbite seemed exuberant as he examined him. "How are you feeling?"

"Like I got spun around in one of those centrifuges at space camp way too many times," Danny replied as he rubbed his head. Although the dizziness had subsided, he still felt somewhat ill. "Where are Sam and Tucker?"

"They are resting in another room. They've been eagerly waiting for news of your awakening."

Danny sighed in relief at the news. "Will I be able to see them?"

"Absolutely, but first I would like to discuss something with you," Frostbite sat down at a chair near the bed Danny was using. Somewhat unnerved by how serious Frostbite seemed to be, he carefully sat up and gestured for him to continue. "Your circumstance is nothing like what any of us have ever seen before."

"My circumstance?" That didn't sound good. Did it have to do with something Plasmius did to him?

"Yes. Before I explain, I need to ask if you've eaten anything while you were here?"

Danny shook his head. "Unless Plasmius fed me something when I was unconscious, then no. Wait," he paused for a moment as he tried to remember what Plasmius had told him, "maybe? Plasmius said something about taking care of me when I got lost when I was six."

"How odd, but as you must have returned home afterwards, it might have something to do with the unexpected results. Did Plasmius explain what he wanted from you?"

"He wanted me as his heir? I think?" Before he or Frostbite could say anything else, Danny felt something clench in his navel. Immediately afterwards, what seemed to be a flash of light momentarily blinded him. Terrified, he yelped and tried to move away. "What-what just happened?"

"This is what I have need to discuss with you." The ghost then rose and picked Danny off the bed before carefully setting him down in front of a mirror at the far end of the room.

It was the first time since he had come to this world that he had a chance to take stock of himself. However, the image looking back at him wasn't what he was expecting. His eyes weren't his usual blue but were instead an unnatural green. His skin had tanned, but the color somehow seemed unhealthy. His hair was now a silvery white instead of his black, and if he wasn't imaging it, he was admitting a slight glow. "What's wrong with me?" he asked in a horrified whisper.

Before he could get his answer, he felt the clench in his navel again. When the light subsided, he was greeted with the reflection of how he originally looked. Uncertain if his mind was playing tricks on him, he checked his hands and what he could of his bangs. Everything appeared normal.

"Usually," Frostbite started, which caused Danny to pause his examination and look at the ghost," when this world claims someone, they can no longer return to their human form. If they do, they often end up dead. You are somehow able to keep your human form, yet you produce a ghost form. In all my years, I have never seen such a thing."

"What exactly does that mean? What am I?"

"Unfortunately, I do no know. From what our tests showed, you have both a functioning human heart and a ghostly core, which is our equivalent of a heart. You've been switching back and forth between forms for some time."

* * *

Notes:

1) So… the Bigfoot mention. This is something that I've heard before. There are 2 major lines of thought regarding the famous cryptid. 1) Bigfoot is a flesh and blood creature, and 2) Bigfoot is an interdimensional, extraterrestrial, or spiritual entity (I seriously had a professor who believed Bigfoot could travel through dimensions. He even wrote papers about it). For this story, I'm going with the concept that people are catching brief glimpses of Frostbite and his people as they patrol areas known for spontaneous portal openings.

Interdimensional aspects are popping up more and more when it comes to paranormal topics, and they're a major theory when it comes to unexplained disappearances and weird creatures. Personally, I find the concept intriguing, but it's not something that can currently be proven. Though… there are a lot of rumors about how CERN is trying to do that. I know that group is just supposed to be studying particles and quantum physics, but there are sooooo many weird rumors about CERN.

2) For this story, I'm borrowing the type of idea where a ghost can't be created unless its former vessel (body) is used as a medium. You see things like this for Revenants, Strigoi Mort (Romanian ghost/zombie/vampire thing), and Gjenganger (Scandinavian ghost/zombie thing similar to a Dragur), and others. For those stories, the only way to get rid of them is to damage/destroy the body in specific ways which vary from region to region.

3) human centrifuges are real things. They are used by to help test the effects of G-forces on people, and astronauts receive training to handle said forces in them. They do, at least used to have, a version of it at space camp.


	9. Chapter 9

Happy belated Thanksgiving! I get very busy this time of year, so updates may be slow. Again, I'm actually fairly surprised I've been as constant as I've been.

Thank you to everyone who has read and favored and/or followed this fic. I'm amazed at the amount of interest it's generated.

* * *

Chapter 9

"So, did Frostbite tell you that there are other people from our school here?"

Danny raised an eyebrow at Tucker's question. His friends were working on catching him up to speed on what happened after he collapsed. It was fairly straightforward as they were taken to a different room to do a quick medical examination to make sure there were no injuries or signs of changes. Once Frostbite's medics were satisfied, they were given warmer clothes as lands of the Far Frozen were similar to those of the article circle. According to the Far Frozen, the clothes were kept in case they needed to temporarily house any humans they found.

Unfortunately, the one aspect of hospitality the Far Frozen could not provide was food. Not only was it difficult for them to procure, it was also easy for it to get contaminated. As such, they did not want to risk providing Sam and Tucker any form of food in case it triggered a change in them. Luckily, Sam still has some granola with her which she shared with Tucker, who whined about there not being meat available for a good ten minutes.

"Yeah, apparently Dash, Paulina, and that group were all taken right around the same time we were," Tucker continued.

"Was it Plasmius?" Danny held his breath as he waited for the response.

"No, it was someone else," Sam responded as she played with the hem of her jacket sleeve. "Frostbite said it was someone name Aragon or some of his followers. And as much as I don't like them, I don't think anyone should have been forced to deal with what they have."

"Should I ask?"

Sam shook her head. "Frostbite won't even let us go in the room while his medics work. They're apparently really messed up, and at least one of them is missing part of their arm. As much as I hate to say it, we might have gotten lucky that it was Plasmius that found us."

"That is a creepy thought, but I think Sam is right about that," Tucker agreed. "Although Frostbite didn't want to explain it to us, we got enough to know that they were targeted for their blood."

An icy chill passed, which was worsened by the lights signaling his switching of forms, passed through Danny's body as he tried to process what Tucker told him. If it bothered his friends, they hide it well. "What do you mean?"

"We're not really sure. Plasmius said something about it too, but both him and Frostbite didn't go into any detail. Sam said she thought she heard something about it?" He glanced towards the goth, who appeared to be deep in thought.

"Yeah, I think there are old legends about it," she eventually replied. "I can't recall the story, and even if I could, I wouldn't be able to tell you if there was any truth to it."

Danny just nodded. "What about Mikey? We saw him get taken too, right?" When his friends wouldn't meet his eyes, he grew concerned. "Guys? What happened?"

"Mikey… he… he didn't make it," Tucker admitted. "Some of Frostbite's men did find him, but, that other ghost, Youngblood, already…"

"What about his body? His family should at least be able to bury him."

"Danny… there isn't a body." Tucker's voice trembled as he spoke. Although they hadn't been close friends, Tucker still considered him one. "When he was found… they said he was now little more than a ghost designed to be another's doll. There was no signs of emotion or personality."

"Frostbite didn't want to tell us that," Sam continued, "but, we pestered one of the medics enough to let it slip. They said it was one of the worst fates a kidnapped human can endure."

"That… that's really messed up." Danny fell silent as he thought about Mikey's family, and how they would never be able to get closure. With a jolt, he realized just how worried his own family had to be. They nearly lost him twice before, but now, he wasn't even certain if he could return the third time.

With his body in a weird in between state, Frostbite had no idea whether or not he could return to the world of the living as ghosts could not remain there for long. There were so many questions. Would he remain like this? Would his human side eventually disappear? Did he still need to eat like a human? Could he still bleed? It was just as frightening as it was frustrating.

There had also been concerns whether or not he should be anywhere near his friends, but Tucker and Sam refused to remain separated from him. Although they were told the same thing Danny had been, they were being supportive of him. If his unintentional switching of forms was bothering them, they were hiding it very well. They also far more scared for him than by him which was extremely comforting.

A knock on the door was the only warning the three got before Frostbite reentered the room. "Good news," he announced as he approached them, "we have gotten reports there will soon be a portal opening near where you were originally abducted. Sam, Tucker, you and your classmates will be able to return home."

Excitement flashed across Tucker's face for a moment before it fell. "But what about Danny?"

"Ah, until we can verify he can safely return to your world, he is more than welcome to remain here." After the ghost glanced at Danny, he gave a reassuring smile. "However, we should find out soon. Before we even had a chance to contact our allies, we received a message from Master Clockwork."

"Clockwork?" Danny and his friends questioned.

Frostbite nodded reverently. "Master Clockwork is an ancient and solitary ghost of great power. It has been many years since his last contact, so we were very surprised when he reached out to us."

"So why now?" Skepticism colored Sam's voice. "If it's been that long, what's so special about Danny's situation to make him suddenly want to interact with others?"

"To be honest, I am unsure. While it is rare for him to contact others, we are uncertain if that is from his own desires or due to the Observants. Perhaps it is a combination of both." Frostbite gave them a gentle smile. "Sam and Tucker, it is almost time for the portal to open. Please prepare your things."

"No way! I'm not leaving here unless Danny's with us!"

As much as he appreciated Sam's declaration, he knew he needed to try to change her mind. "Thanks, Sam, but I think you and Tucker should go home while you have the chance."

Although Tucker sent him an understanding smile, Sam just glared at him. "And just leave you here? The last time we were separated, something weird happened to you. I don't want something to happen, and we never see you again."

"Sam, can't you tell Danny's worried?" Tucker placed a hand on her shoulder. "Whatever happened to him, he doesn't want to have happen to us."

"Thanks for the translation, Tuck. I also want to know you'll be far away from this place and safe," Danny walked over to his friend and gave him a quick hug before he turned to Sam and placed a quick peck on her cheek. "I'll find my way home. I promise. And, Sam? After this is all over, I'll treat you to that new restaurant you've been eying."

Sam's lip quivered as she tried to keep her emotions in check. "Are you finally asking me out?" Even her voice shook. After Tucker agreed with him, her fight had disappeared. "If you bail, I'm going to hunt you down."

"I wouldn't have it any other way."

Frostbite then escorted his friends out of the room while allowed Danny to collapse back on the medical bed. If he was honest, he didn't want to be alone, but it was too dangerous for his friends to stay by his side. He couldn't keep them safe, and the longer they remained by his side in the world of the dead, the more chances the world had to alter them.

Before Sam and Tucker were allowed in to see him, Frostbite explained the change could be caused by anything. Food and drink was the most common. It didn't matter if it was offered by a friendly or malicious ghost or simply found by a wayward human as it was too different from what was found in the world of the living. Some ghosts could purposely trigger the change. Frostbite was hesitant to explain how, but it almost sounded like they passed on an illness or curse. To make matters worse, simply being around ghosts or in the world of the dead too long could also trigger it.

He sighed as he waited for Frostbite to return. This world was toxic to humans, so he was it was him and not them staying behind.

….

Sam remained silent during the journey with the Far Frozen. She and Tucker were sitting in the rear of what appeared to be some sort of large sleigh which was pulled by strange glowing creatures which vaguely resembled huskies. Two of Frostbite's people were steering the sleigh while two more held on to the back and stood on the foot boards.

Across from her and Tucker sat an unconscious Kwan, Star, and Paulina. They did look terrible. All three had bandages and gauze on their faces, and bruises were forming on clear skin. Dash and the others were on a different sleigh which was following behind them.

As much as she hated to admit it, she was glad she never encountered the same ghost as the A-listers. Sure, Plasmius was creepy and potentially dangerous, but he never outright harmed them. However, she did admit that seemed directly related to his desire to keep Danny.

She sighed as her thoughts flickered back to him. He still seemed like the same person when he waved goodbye to her and Tucker, but she was scared that wouldn't be the case for much longer. No one knew whether or not Danny would stay like that, or if it was possible for his situation to worsen or reverse. If it worsened, did that mean he wouldn't be Danny anymore?

Frostbite mentioned he had once been human, but he could barely remember how he used to be. And if she heard correctly while Plasmius was talking to himself, memories were sometimes affected during the process of becoming a ghost. If that happened, would he still remember them? Would he still have the same personality? Would he act more like the ghosts who hurt the A-listers? She kept trying to push away those fears and remain positive, but every time she remembered his inhumanly green eyes, they came back.

Tucker tried to distract her by pointing out things on their journey. Even with everything, she had to admit the strange scenery was something else. The sky was still a strange mix of green and purple. There were floating islands in the distance and occasionally floating doors. If she looked downwards, there was some sort of ground and occasionally what appeared to be rivers and forests. However, she also sometimes caught sight of unsettling shadows which seemed to duck out of sight if she stared at them too long.

After Tucker mentioned the shadows, the two tried to convince themselves the shadows were nothing of concern. However, that idea was quickly pushed aside when they caught sight of the yetis steering the sleigh pointing at some of them before conversing in hushed tones. Before Sam could make up her mind on whether or not to ask if they needed to be concerned, the sleigh violently served to the side.

"What the f…?" Before Sam could finish, a barrage of green lights rained down on their right.

"Look!" Tucker pointed at something above them. "How much do you want to bet that they're not friendly?"

She glanced up to see what appeared to be a black carriage drawn by black pegasi with flaming manes. There was a flaming figure standing on the driver's seat brandishing a sword in one hand while firing the green light from the other. The sight would have been so wickedly cool if one of the yetis riding on their sleigh hadn't have thrown up some sort of bluish shield. It took her a moment to realize it was ice.

She wasn't expecting the green lights to cause explosions when they hit the ice shield. After one blew a hole in the shield which allowed another to damage part of their sleigh, she and Tucker huddled together in the center. Somehow, the A-listers remained unconscious. "Must be nice," she angrily muttered.

"Hang on, children!" one of the driving yetis told them as they directed the sleigh towards a nearby floating island which appeared to have a large forest on it.

The landing was rough. The sleigh bounced a few times before it began sliding over the rocky terrain of the island as it headed towards the ghostly forest. The ride remained turbulent as the yetis dodged around trees and rocks. Green lights and explosions followed them.

After several tense minutes, the sleigh finally came to a stop. Sam and Tucker shakily tried to stand, but the yetis told them to stay put and remain silent. Other than their breathing, Sam was unable to hear any other noise. Eventually, she whispered, "Tucker, do you see that?" as a strange green glow appeared deep within the forest.

"Yeah… I really hope that's nothing more than a ghostly firefly." Tucker's hope was quickly dashed as more lights began appearing, and as they drew closed, they almost looked like skeletons.

"Brace yourselves!" one of the yetis suddenly yelled before the sleigh jolted forward. However, it never had a chance to move forward. Before Sam could figure out what happened, she and Tucker were picked up by one of the yetis, who then ran into the forest. The A-listers were grabbed by the others. Sam had just enough time to get a glimpse of an army of glowing skeletons overtaking the sleigh before the sight disappeared behind a tree.

The yeti did not stop until the trees began to thin, and it wasn't a gentle stop. The ghost basically skid to a stop before placing Sam and Tucker down and instructing them to stay behind him. Sam peaked around the ghost, to see the flaming figure from the carriage standing in front of them. It wore black armor.

The figure brandished its claymore at them. "Hand over the humans. My liege is in need of them." 

* * *

Regarding the Aragon reference: I was debating between him and Pandora, and ultimately choose him due to his status as a villain in the series.

As previously mentioned, per Greek mythology, ghosts needed blood to regain their sense of self. Which is why she was considered. However, there is an old story in southeastern Europe that I almost forgot about until was trying to double check something and was reminded of it. It falls into the weird gray area between ghosts, zombies, and vampires seen a lot in that region for centuries. They have creatures which start out as shadows and then slowly gaining a proper form which resembled what they had in life as they consume blood over a 40 day period. Once they reach 'maturity', those creatures have bodies which resemble what they did when they were alive and no longer have to return to the grave at dawn. As such, my brain went, "I'm using that."

If you're interested, I know one of the traditions translates them to "Howlers" or "Screamers" as they are known to pace an area during that 40 day period, kind of like weird listless zombies, and make strange noises. However, these tales do vary between countries and even villages so it may be difficult to find.

Also, yay claymore swords. I want one.


	10. Chapter 10

Merry belated Christmas!

It's been very hectic the past few weeks, so there hasn't been much time to write or even think. This particular chapter is loaded with a lot of information.

* * *

Chapter 10

Frostbite was incredibly close lipped on their journey to Clockwork's lair, at least in regards to the mysterious and ancient ghost. He instead talked to Danny about different aspects of ghosts and their realm. Although the yeti ghost wanted Danny to return home, he wanted Danny to know about the realm as a precaution, and Danny reluctantly agreed.

As they passed by some of the floating islands, buildings, and doors, Frostbite would occasionally mention which of his allies or neutral acquaintances lived there. It was all so strange. There were buildings which looked like they were from ancient Greece or Rome, while there was another which looked like a modern library. Frostbite explained the form of the lair was heavily influenced by its ruler. A ghost needed to be a fairly strong to be able to create such a large lair, and while the architecture often reflected what the ghost knew while they were alive, it wasn't a necessity.

Eventually, a dark and imposing clock tower could be seen in the distance. "I guess that's the place?" Danny questioned as he tried to get a better look at it.

"It is. When we arrive, it is unlikely I will be able to go in with you."

"Wait, what?" Danny hadn't expected this would be a one on one meeting. From the way Frostbite spoke, he figured someone would be guarding him, at least until he had answers.

The older ghost gave him a sheepish look. "The invitation was only for you. Unless Clockworks invites me in, I will do no more than ferry you to the location and wait for your return."

"Is this Clockwork really so scary?"

"He is far more powerful than I am, so I have no desire to anger him. There are stories regarding how no foe has been able to sway or harm him."

"So you're just going to allow a teenager to go to meet a ridiculously powerful ghost by himself? That's just great. What if he incinerates me or something?"

Frostbite just chuckled. "I do not think you have anything to fear, unless you try to attack him. Clockwork is not known for going out of his way to do damage to someone."

"Great. That makes me feel so much better." Danny's sarcasm was lost on Frostbite.

…

A short time later, Frostbite's sleigh landed in front of the clock tower. Upon closer inspection, the building appeared to be made of a dark gray stone with large wooden doors. Thankfully, there was a small amount of land surrounding the building, so Danny wasn't worried about falling to his death. After being coaxed out of the sleigh, Danny, feeling incredibly self-conscious, knocked on the door.

The door opened, but he didn't see anyone when he cautiously stepped inside. He half expected the door to slam behind him, but instead, it remained open until he started moving towards the only thing in the room, a stair case. Once he reached it, the door slowly closed on its own.

While uneasy, he wasn't exactly scared. Whoever this Clockwork was, he was at least somewhat courteous.

After reaching the top of the stairs, he found himself in a large room filled with gears, pendulums, and what appeared to be mirrors set within large gears. However, after a closer inspection, the mirrors showed shadowy images which didn't appear to be him or anything in the room.

"Do you see anything interesting?" a pleasant voice asked from somewhere behind him, making him jump. He sheepishly spun around to find a ghost with blue skin, red eyes, and a clock pendulum in his chest watching him. The ghost initially appeared maybe around thirty, but after a few moments shifted to appear much older.

"I'm sorry! I shouldn't have looked." Danny wasn't exactly certain why, but he felt almost as if he was being caught in the act by a favorite relative. There was something familiar and personable about this ghost, even when his form shifted again. This time, his appearance was childlike.

The ghost chuckled as he approached. "It is quite alright. Most of my visitors have been drawn to them." He gestured towards the closest one, and the images suddenly became more vivid. It was almost as if it was playing some sort of video. "As you have guessed, I am Clockwork, master of time. I am able to see all events which may or may not come to pass." His form again shifted.

"Err… Frostbite said you wanted to see me?"

"Correct. Beings such as yourself have only shown up a handful of times over the millennia, and each time one does, it often brings great change."

"But what am I? Am I dead? Am I alive?"

The ghost gave a gentle chuckle. "You are still very much alive. You're just able to access the power of your soul, which is not usually feasible while one is still has a living body. However, this is not possible unless you are able to resist the pull of this realm."

"What does that mean?" Although Danny was relieved to know he was classified as living, he was still deeply confused by everything. "Does it deal with what Frostbite explained regarding what could trigger the change?"

"Yes. This world is similar to the human concept of limbo. It is a place where some souls wander until they are lead to the Evermore – true death. But, it is still a world of the dead, and the living are not meant to be here. It has defenses to prevent the dead from crossing back into your world, which unfortunately can cause the wayward human to become a denizen."

"However, there is more to it than that," Clockwork continued as he gestured to the mirror. Strange images flickered within it. "Over millennia, this realm became corrupted. The guides, beings unique to this realm, which used to help guide those wayward souls, are all but gone now. No longer being able to find true rest, souls that remain here often become tainted and become ghosts. Many can spread that taint as well, and some use that to create others like themselves."

"You're telling me that's why my classmates were abducted?" A cold chill ran through him as his body decided to return to his human form.

"Not in this case." Clockwork gestured to the mirror as an image flickered to the first ghost Danny and his friends saw. After a moment, another ghostly figure who suspiciously resembled Mikey came into view. "In Youngblood's case, whether or better or worse, wanted a companion more than anything else. This isn't an isolated case. However, many abductors have a far more insidious reason." The ghost turned to face him. "The living have an energy that the dead do not. It's probably easiest to refer to it as vitality. Returning to your previous question, you still produce that energy so it is safe to say you are still alive."

"Alright. So what makes that so appealing? Does it give, I don't know, special abilities?"

"Some believe so. Others believe vitality will help them restore some of the memories commonly lost upon death."

"That's so messed up," Danny replied after mulling over the information. "The memory loss thing, does that happen to everyone? Will it happen to me? Will I…?" He didn't want to admit it out loud, but he was worried he might become a danger to his friends and family.

The ghost, who was back in his child form, gave him a soft smile. "As long as you're alive, you don't need to worry. As for death, most souls do not come to this realm, but instead find their way to the Evermore. Also, as long as the soul is strong, it can avoid being tainted by this realm and become a force of good or of balance. Those which do have no need to seek out and harm the living." It was impossible for Danny to hide the relief on his face, which made Clockwork chuckle.

"Now let us move on to some of your other concerns. You want to know if you can return home and how you became like that, correct?" When Danny nodded, Clockwork again gestured to the mirrors. An image of a young Danny berry picking with his aunt and sister. The view changed to show a creature, some other ghost, peering at them from behind a tree. After Danny caught sight of it, his family members disappeared from the scene. "This is where your journey began. As you saw earlier, a distraction from this realm can accidently pull you into it."

"What is that thing?" Danny felt uneasy as he watched the ghost beckon to his younger self which somehow triggered his body to switch forms again. There was something about the ghost which made him unsettled. It looked humanoid with dark skin, but did not have any facial features. "I don't remember seeing it, but then again, I don't remember much from that."

Clockwork stared at the image for another moment before glancing at Danny. "Most of them no longer have names. We call them 'Recruiters', but it was believed they had been destroyed several centuries ago. They worked for the previous king."

"Wait, king? You guys have a king? And what do you mean they were supposed to be destroyed?"

"We once did," Clockwork replied as he shifted to his elderly form. "He waged war against this realm and yours, so he was sealed away. The members of his court, made mostly of purposely modified ghosts, were either destroyed or sealed. It appears someone has resurrected those modification techniques."

Danny was about to ask another question when the images in the mirror caught his attention again. It showed the ghost, the Recruiter, examining him. It then handed him something which looked like some type of candy. After young Danny ate it, the Recruiter watched him for a while before attempting to grab him. When the attempt failed, young Danny tried to escape.

Images flashed as his younger self ran away from the Recruiter. Eventually, the boy collapsed outside of what appeared to be some sort of wall and began to cry as a faint glow started to surround him. As the Recruiter again appeared in the scene, it was blasted away by a strange beam. The boy looked up to see Plasmius staring curiously at him.

"Wow… so Plasmius actually wasn't lying when he said how he first met me."

"For the most part, no," Clockwork replied as he raised his staff, which caused the scene to shift to the inside of Plasmius' mansion. The older ghost had given Danny more food and was watching him carefully. "Plasmius did accidently find you, but if he hadn't provided you with more food from this realm, you may have been able to return home as a fairly normal human, albeit with form of minor psychic ability. However, he saw potential in you and became interested."

The teenager was silent for a moment as he continued to watch the images. After Plasmius took him back to the human world, the scene shifted to show him a little older. With a jolt, he realized it was when he disappeared the second time. Instead of the Recruiter, it was Plasmius who beckoned him. The ghost didn't do anything other than talk and play with his younger self. However, Danny was showing evidence of ghostly traits again. "He wanted to make sure he was right, didn't he?"

"Yes. Plasmius has grand ambitions in this realm. He wants power and having someone like you at his side would be a great boon. However," Clockwork froze the image and somehow zoomed into a spot in the background. There was a Recruiter watching them, "you were not alone. This is troubling."

"You mentioned earlier you are able to see all possible events, didn't you? So why do you seem so surprised?"

The ghost, still in his elderly form, wore a tenebrous expression. "While my abilities allow me to see any number of possibilities, it can be difficult to sort through the amount of information I receive. It is also possible, though unlikely, someone powerful was able to block them from my abilities. However, now that I am aware of the concern, it is much easier to locate similar events." The ghost shifted to his child form. "I had wanted to send you home while you adjust to the changes in your body, but you may need trained first."

Uncertain how to respond while the ghost took a few moments to think, Danny turned back to the mirror. It was no longer showing images of his past. Instead, it was flickering through a multitude of scenes at a blinding rate. For a second, he thought he saw Sam and Tucker, but the image changed before he could be certain. Some of the images seemed to show an army of some sort. Overall, it left him unsettled.

"I believe I will need to let Frostbite into the Clock Tower," Clockwork stated, making Danny jump. "I will need him to spread the word of my discovery, and he has information for both of us."

Moments later, the white furred ghost hurried up the stairs with two of his guards. After taking a moment to collect himself, he bowed towards Clockwork. "I humbly thank you for allowing us into your presence."

"There is no need for that. My abilities and agreement with the Observants force me to remain neutral under most circumstances. As such, I prefer to keep to myself, but sometimes when extraordinary people appear," Clockwork gestured to Danny, "curiosity gets in the way. However, this time, I am glad it did." The ghost brought their attention to the mirrors and showed the Yetis the image of the Recruiter.

Frostbite's shock was quickly replaced by rage. "Who would dare attempt to recreate such a vile creature? However, we have unsettling news of our own. The entourage who were escorting the other humans Danny knows home were attacked by the Fright Knight and a horde of Reanimated." When the yeti caught sight of Danny's horrified expression, he gave a small smile. "Fear not. Pandora herself stepped into assist my men and drove them back; not even the Fright Knight dares raise his blade to her. Your friends should be arriving home soon." His attention turned back towards Clockwork. "Pandora explained one of her spies caught sight of them shortly before they attacked my men and took it upon herself to intervene. Her ambassadors will request an audience of the counsel within the day."

"As much as I dislike dealing with the Observants, I believe this is necessary," Clockwork agreed. "Whoever is employing the techniques of the old king has been able to exploit the blind spots in my abilities. It also seems as if they are aware of Daniel and what his existence means. They may also be watching Plasmius."

"This is most troubling."

"Uh, excuse me, but I have no idea what's going on here," Danny interrupted. The conversation had lost him some time ago, but he was relieved to hear his friends were safe.

Frostbite gave him a sheepish smile as Clockwork explained, "It appears someone is trying to make a grab for power. The last time this happened, war overtook this realm and spilled into yours."

"That… that doesn't sound good."

"No. Last time, it was only through the power of the Ancients that we were able to defeat the King. If someone has found a way to access his abilities, then it needs to be stopped before catastrophe happens." The yeti's expression was grim as he addressed Clockwork. "So what becomes of Danny? Will he need to remain with us, or can he travel home? Is it even safe for someone like him to return to the human realm?"

"As he is still alive, there is no harm in him returning him. His parents are working on several projects, one of which will provide his home with enough ambient energy to allow his core to remain stable. However, the more I attempt to peer into the future, the more muddled the images become. There is definitely interference. So, I am uncertain what route will allow the most favorable outcome." He shifted to his adult form. "So, Daniel, I leave the choice to you."

"You said that whoever attacked my friends know about me?"

The time ghost nodded. "Yes. Since you can traverse both worlds without ill effects, your abilities would be of great interest. You could remain here and train with Frostbite…"

"But I would not be able to guarantee your safety as today proved," the Yeti admitted.

"There is also a concern the Observant and the Counsel will not approve of your existence," Clockwork continued. "You could return home, but you would be forced to develop your abilities on your own. However, you would be much safer there for the time being."

Danny looked down at his hands and momentarily stared at the faint glow surrounding them. "Am I a danger to my family and friends if I go home?"

"No, but it is possible to make them more open to this world. If we are unable to prevent our enemies from gaining power, it may cause them to be targeted again."

"Is it okay if I take some time to think about it?"

"Of course. Take all of the time you need."

* * *

Note: The Evermore is something within DP lore. It was mentioned in a video Butch Hartman released which expanded upon more information regarding the different residents.

Clockwork's mention of limbo and soul guides. To my knowledge, the concept of Limbo is most prevalent to Christians (particularly Catholics). This is a place in between life and Heaven/Hell. In previous Catholic tradition, Limbo is the place where unbaptized souls go upon death, and there were circumstances which could help those souls find rest (the Catholic Church modified its views on Limbo in 2007). Some people say Limbo is also the realm of the fairies, elves, and any creature/entity which lives in another realm that is not heaven or hell. There is a similar concept in Greek mythology which was referred to as the Asphodel Fields/Meadows.

And for completion sake, Purgatory is not the same as Limbo. Purgatory (also per Catholic tradition) is a place of fiery cleansing after death. It's a temporary stop as once the cleansing is completed, the soul moves on to Heaven. While it is not mentioned much, Purgatory is still considered to exist.

Soul guides, also called psychopomps, are creatures responsible for guiding the deceased souls to the afterlife. The belief in them is ancient. Depending on tradition, they can be anything or look like anything. There's even some thought that certain entities known to spirit away people, faeries come to mind, may have derived from this concept. A great representation of this are the _Alebrijes_ found in Mexican traditions (they were recently featured in the movie "Coco.")

The Recruiters are kind of based of off "Shadow People" mixed in with other legends like "Der Großman" (Groß is pronounced similarly to gross in English. Groß is German for tall/large) and the "Tall Man" spirit seen in some First Nation lore. Shadow People are a weird phenomenon, even for the paranormal. True Shadow People are not usually considered to be ghosts, but no one is exactly certain of what they are. The inter-dimensional theory often pops up with them because they don't seem to act like "normal ghosts" and are usually considered dangerous. They are reported to negatively influence and harm humans. There are some reports of them attempting to steal people. Der Großman and the Tall Man are described as creatures similar to that of the modern tale of Slenderman, and they are again said to either negatively influence or take children. I used these descriptions due to some supposed reports from missing and found children saying creatures of similar descriptions wanted to take them with them, but they didn't meet the correct criteria.

Also, regarding Clockwork's powers… per the show, he "knows everything." However, it would very difficult of an entity to be able to take and absorb all of the information he gets at a time. So, my mind is viewing it as if he's skimming the majority of the information, which could allow events in the background to get missed.


	11. Chapter 11

I'm not dead! I've just been very stressed and busy since the beginning of the year… and then I caught the flu.

* * *

Chapter 11

The return home was nothing but a blur. Sam's mind couldn't make much sense of anything until she focused on flashing lights in the darkness. Panic gripped her as the possibility those skeleton creatures followed them, but voices soon filtered through the dark trees. She called out to them in a raspy voice. At first, she thought her voice was too faint to reach them, but someone heard her.

One of the rangers came into focus as he approached her. After flashing his light over the area, he tried asking her something. His question didn't make much sense to her, so she attempted to tell him she was okay, but the others might be hurt. Her vision swam as the ranger contacted someone on his walkie-talkie. The last thing she heard before blackness took her was the ranger trying to keep her conscious.

…

She woke up to find herself staring at a pale gray ceiling. Confused, she turned her head to get a better idea of where she was. The white walls, a single chair where Tucker was sleeping, and an IV which was attached to her clued her in that she was in a hospital. Why was she in a hospital? After glancing at Tucker again, she determined the better question was why was Tucker in the hospital? He hated them.

He roused himself after a few moments. "Hey, you're awake!" After allowing himself a moment to stretch, he moved to her side. "How are you feeling?"

"Tired." Her throat felt like sandpaper. "How'd I get here? Where is everyone else? Where's Danny?"

"I was told the Rangers called in ambulances after we were found. We and the A-listers were taken here. We were actually the least injured – just some scrapes and bruises. The doctors said you also had a bad bump on the head. Some of the A-listers are in critical condition, but they should make it." He glanced around before leaning closer so he could whisper, "When I was released earlier, my parents told me Danny had been found and taken here, but they're not allowing visitors. He's being questioned by the police because he was found in a different location hours after us and relatively unharmed. Mom said the doctors seem worried about his vitals."

"But he didn't do anything!" She tried to sit up only to have Tucker gently stop her.

"Hey, the only way your parents let me in here was if I promised to make sure you didn't get up if they weren't in the room. I'm not pushing my luck after everything else that happened." Once he was certain she was done trying to move, he went back to the chair and wrung his hands. "Trust me. I know he didn't have anything to do with what happened, but it looks weird to the cops that he wasn't found with us."

Sam wanted to argue with him just so she could vent. Danny didn't deserve that suspicion. He was probably most affected by what happened. Remembering him in that ghostly form, she hoped he would be okay being in the world of the living. He was back there with them, so she guessed he would be okay.

She tried to question Tucker for more information, but her parents interrupted them. After a boisterous show of relief from her mother, her dad had enough tact to politely ask Tucker to give them time with their daughter. She glared at Tucker's betrayal as he gave a half-hearted salute before he exited leaving her to try to block out her mother's piercing voice.

….

After a barrage of tests the next morning, the doctors were confident she could be released. However, her parents wanted them to keep her for another night as a precaution. Since the doctors gave her a clean bill of health, the police came in to take a statement from her. She told them what she felt she could – that someone who called himself Youngblood killed Lester and took Mikey, and after she and her friends got separated from the others, were hunted down by someone called Plasmius. While the police seemed skeptical, they did admit her story matched up with her friends and what they could get out of Dash and Lucas.

Her annoyance at the police lessened when Tucker brought her news they were allowed to go see Danny. Her nurse was fine with it as long as she returned to her room after a couple hours.

Danny's room was on a different floor so it took them a few minutes to get there. After knocking and entering, they found Danny sitting up on his bed and chatting with his sister. After greeting them, Jazz excused herself after giving him a searching look.

"What was that about?" Tucker questioned as he glanced back towards where Jazz disappeared.

"You know her and her psychobabble. She's convinced I'm traumatized need to talk to someone." Danny's tone seemed light, but there was a notable frown on his face. "I can tell she knows I'm withholding information."

"I think the police also think that. The cop I talked to earlier seemed upset I didn't give him more information," Sam admitted before she moved forward to give him a quick hug. "How are you doing considering…?" She gestured vaguely to his body. "You still owe me a date, you know."

A chuckle escaped him. "I know I do, but they need to let me out of here first. Then we can play it by ear." He brought his hand to his chest. "Some of my vitals are wonky because of… what happened, so the doctors want to observe me for a while still." His eyes grew distant as he continued, "Overall, I think I'm okay, but this place makes me so uncomfortable. There is so much emotion, and… I think they're remnants of people who died. They might be ghosts, but they seem so wispy compared to what we saw. Clockwork told me that place corrupted ghosts over time, so maybe that's what it is. The ghosts here aren't corrupted."

"Dude, I feel you about hospitals being creepy. The only reason I'm here is to visit you two," Tucker admitted as he removed his hat and wrung it. "But what do you mean by emotion?"

There was a green tinge to Danny's eyes as he glanced at them. "I can feel… maybe taste… the fear and grief in this place. I don't like it."

After sharing a concerned look with Tucker, Sam gently patted Danny's shoulder. "There are old stories that say ghosts seem to respond to strong emotions. Maybe that's what it is."

"Maybe." His reply was half-hearted.

"So, how exactly did you get back? And how did the visit with Clockwork go?" Tucker questioned as he sat on the only chair in the room, leaving Sam to rest on the end of his bed.

"Frostbite brought me back after we got the report that you were attacked, he led me to a different portal as the one you went through already closed." His head tilted as he thought about it. "Clockwork was very unsettled by the events. He's the ghost of time, by the way, and I don't think I ever want his job." After catching their confused stares, Danny launched into a hushed explanation of what Clockwork told him.

"You're telling me the ghost of time missed seeing that weird thing?" It was Tucker who finally broke the stunned silence after Danny finished. "He's not very good at his job, is he?"

Danny shook his head. "I don't think it's Clockwork's fault. From what I caught, it seems what or whoever is employing those things, they are able to move in his blind spots."

"You said something about how those things are looking to steal kids. Do you think we have to worry about them?" Although Sam wasn't too worried about herself, she did have small cousins that while they were brats, she had no desire to see them harmed.

"I'm not sure. I wasn't given too much information about them, and I don't exactly have a way to try to find a way to find out either."

"Hmm… When my parents finally allow me out of here, I'll go through my collection of folklore and mythology. I know it's a long shot, but maybe there's a mention of something like what you described."

"Oooh! That's a good idea. Why didn't I think of that?" Tucker smacked himself on the head as he brought out his PDA. After a few quick button pushes, he held it up. "I now have a program running to see if there are any recent reports of those things? It might take a bit of filtering to get around CreepyPastas, but I think it'll work."

Danny gave them a trembling smile. "Thanks guys."

Their conversation soon drifted to more mundane things like school and imagining Sam's parents going on a rampage against the school district. Their conversation came to an end after Danny's parents entered the room, a little more excited than normal. They clearly wanted to discuss something in private, so Sam and Tucker excused themselves. Tucker then walked Sam back to her room, where her nurse was waiting for them.

xxxxxx

The next day, Danny was release from the hospital under strict orders he needed to be carefully monitored. His temperature and blood pressure were still on the low side, but he seemed to be healthy. Uncertain whether or not that was his new baseline, they figured his parents would return him to the hospital if he took a turn for the worst. So, he would be allowed to stay home from school for about a week.

If he was honest, he didn't think he parents would be too motivated to keep an eye on him as they had a new toy to keep their attention. While he and his friends and classmates were lost in the world of the dead, his parents managed to punch open a hole into that very place with an invention they had been working on for decades. Most of their waking moments were spent hovering around it and taking measurements.

He didn't understand why they would make such a thing. Its energy infected everything in the house. He doubted his parents or sister were able to feel it unless they stood in front of it, but that energy thrummed in his very core. It wasn't exactly a comforting feeling, but it seemed to calm the constant fighting between his human and ghostly forms. He supposed he should be at least thankful for that as it helped prevent slip ups around his family.

That had been the most nerve wracking aspect of his changes. His energy often surged without warning which triggered some sort of ghostly ability that both Frostbite and Clockwork neglected to mention to him. His body parts liked to inappropriately pass through solid objects or disappear for a few minutes at a time. It often went away after a few frantic moments of trying to fix the problem. He had yet to tell his friends about it.

For the most part, he kept to himself and in his room while he was under this surveillance period. However, he still had bodily needs. So, he would venture to the kitchen for snacks.

A couple hours after dinner, he went downstairs for one such snack. He found his sister in the living room watching breaking news regarding a disappearance of a teen. As he listened to the reporter, a strange chill ran through him. That chill worsened after they showed a photo of the girl – she was an underclassman at his school.

"How long have you been standing there?" Jazz demanded after she realized he was there. Had he really been that quiet?

"Long enough. What exactly happened to her?" He moved to sit down on the couch with her.

"After what just happened to you, I don't think you should listen."

He rolled his eyes. "Jazz, I'm fine. Besides, I already heard enough to know she went missing around the same time me and my classmates did."

Jazz narrowed her eyes as she seemingly examined him for some unknown sign. When she didn't find it, she sighed and caught him up. "She and her family went on a normal hike on a short trail outside the city. When she didn't come back at the designated time, a search party went looking for her. She was found unharmed near a bend the creek that follows that trail." She paused as she scratched her head. "It doesn't seem too unusual, but something her parents said in an interview is bugging me. They said she seemed like an entirely different person after she was found. I'm trying to get more information to see if I have any information that might be able to help them."

"You probably shouldn't stick your nose in it."

The expression she shot him went from offended to sheepish as she backtracked. "Well… I wasn't going to directly get involved. I was just going to send a message to their doctors if I could find a psychological change that could help with their prognoses. I wonder if they'd let me do a case study on her for my class." Jazz had received special permission to return home for a couple weeks to make sure Danny was fine. However, true to form, she had promised to work on any potential projects due the time period.

"Jazz… I'm serious. You shouldn't get involved." When Jazz looked like she was going to argue with him, he gave her the most intense glare he could muster. "You have no idea what might have happened to her. Getting involved when you shouldn't, might make it worse, or you might get yourself involved in something you'll end up regretting."

She floundered as she tried to find her words. If he didn't know any better, she almost seemed afraid. "I don't understand you," she eventually told him. "You've never taken such an interest in any of my previous projects."

Danny just rubbed his temples. Jazz didn't tend to back down from anything unless she had a sound argument. "Jazz, I'm telling you, there's something wrong here. Don't approach her."

"Are you implying that her temporary disappearance has something to do with what happened to you and your classmates?"

"I know it sounds crazy, but call it a gut feeling."

She gently patted his shoulder. "I know what this is about."

"You do?"

She gave him a pitying look. "Because your situations are so similar, you're projecting your fears and experience on to her."

"What? That's not it at all!"

"You just keep telling yourself that, little brother." With that phrase, she effectively dismissed anything else he had to say.

Still unsettled, Danny excused himself and went back to his room to see if he could find any more information as to what happened to the underclassman and to alert Sam and Tucker to the information. While he was able to get little more than the information he heard on the news report, the feeling something else was wrong wouldn't leave him.

* * *

So, I don't have too much to say about this particular chapter. I am, however, using information from a specific tale I've heard which ties into the folklore I've already added as it is not the first time I've encountered such stories. This particular one had more detailed information, but I'm having trouble locating it again. If I can find it, I'll include a link in the future. If not, I'll provide a summary.


	12. Chapter 12

This chapter is evil. It's one of those where the initial plan went out the window, and then due to stress (far beyond the levels that make me creative), the ability to write just disappeared.

I also have messages I need to answer. I'm going to hopefully do that over the next couple days. Also, like every other chapter, this has not been beta'ed. Please feel free to point out errors so I can fix them.

* * *

Chapter 12

After he was cleared to return to school, he found the media waiting for him. Somehow, Danny's parents managed to keep them away from the house. Actually, that wasn't too surprising as his dad did have a bad habit of accidently attacking people who paid unplanned visits to the house. The mental image of a particularly annoying reporter with too much perfume covered in the green goop from one of his parents' inventions was rather pleasing.

Following the events at the campgrounds, the school was closed for a week while the police conducted interviews with the staff and school board The information he got from Sam, whose parents were among those interviewed, suggested the police wanted to verify those involved with the school had nothing to do with what happened. However, a rumor circulated that the staff knew about the original missing person investigation prior to the trip, which prompted the school to release a statement where the park and its employees for the tragedy. That didn't sit well with the general populace, who began regular protests in front of the school.

Once the school re-opened, the reporters began targeting students for interviews they couldn't get with the school's staff. Since most of the students were minors, the police got involved to prevent any potential legal issues. However, their presence did not stop the reporters from trying. Each time one of the students involved in the "mass abduction," as it was being called, returned to the school, the reporters renewed their attempts.

After successful dodging the reporters, Danny made his way to his locker. Unlike the countless times he previously made the trip, this particular time was different. The tension in the air was palpable as the other students stared at him as he passed.

His friends met him at his locker. When he mentioned the stares, Tucker gave an awkward chuckle. "About that, word got out that you were found hours after the rest of us. There are a lot of rumors about what you might or might not have seen and why you weren't as injured as the A-listers."

"Speaking of the the A-listers, which ones are back?" Danny questioned as he grabbed his books. Other than the general aftermath, he didn't know too much regarding what happened to the other abductees.

"All but Star are back. She lost part of her arm, so she's in physical therapy. I overheard the queen bee saying something about how Star might end up being transferred," Sam answered as she kept an eye on some of the students staring at them.

He nodded. "That's more than understandable." The noticeable tension gave way to what he could only describer as an overwhelming wrongness.

His friends grabbed his arms to stabilize him. "Dude, what's wrong? Is it related to your… you know?" Tucker's voice momentarily seemed distant, and it took Danny a great deal of focus to concentrate on it. "Are you sure you should have returned today?"

"It's okay… it's just…"

"FENTON!" The sound of Dash's voice rang through the hallway. Danny had little time to react before the jock suddenly appeared in his line of sight and pinned him to the lockers. "I've been waiting for you to come back. You better have an explanation for what happened that day!" Anger radiated off Dash in waves.

"What is your problem?" He still didn't understand how he became so sensitive to emotions, but they seemed to affect what Frostbite called his core. "If you forgot, you ran off and left us!"

"Are you telling me that you didn't see that thing? You didn't see what hurt Star? You better not be lying to me. You're the one who gave us that weird warning before everything happened!"

"Get off me," he snapped as he pushed Dash away. "Regarding what happened to you and your friends, I only know what I was told when I was in the hospital. We," he gestured to his friends as his chest suddenly seemed to freeze, "never saw you guys after you ran off. So, whatever you saw, we certainly didn't see it."

"Don't play dumb with me. Don't your crackpot parents study this type of stuff?"

Before he could reply, the cold sensation gripped his chest again as the wrongness from earlier returned. The girl who was on the new the other night walked by and momentarily locked eyes with him. His entire body screamed danger, and his core tried activating in defense. It took all of his willpower to squash it down. The girl just gave him a haughty smile and continued on her way.

"Well, aren't you going to say something?" Dash's voice brought him back to the situation at hand.

"My parents aren't crackpots. If you want information from them, go ask them yourself. Good luck at understanding their explanations though. Come on, guys."

"Are you calling me stupid, Fenton? Cuz if you are…"

"Dash, even I can barely understand some of their theories, and I grew up exposed to that stuff." That seemed to somewhat diffuse the jock's anger as he simply growled and sulked away. After nodding in satisfaction, he caught the stunned looks of his friends. "What?"

"Well, at least we know one good thing that happened from our little romp in the woods, you grew a backbone." Sam's satisfied smirk caught him off guard. Was she preening? However, her eyes narrowed as her gaze drifted towards where the underclassman disappeared. "But what was that about? You looked like you were going to have a fit when that girl walked by?"

"You noticed that too? I thought I was imaging things," Tucker added as warning bell rang.

"Remind me to tell you at lunch. I'm not sure if it's something others should hear."

….

A few hours later, Danny and his friends found themselves huddled at one of the lunch tables at the far end of the cafeteria. While his friends took a few bites of their meals, he scanned the area to make sure no one was close enough to overhear them. His eyes eventually fell on the girl from earlier.

She seemed normal enough, especially since she was sitting next to Paulina. They wouldn't have let her anywhere near them if they thought she was odd. However, even though her hair and clothing seemed immaculate, there was something stiff and unnatural in her posture. It was almost as if she was trying too hard to sit normally.

"Alright Danny, spill it." Tucker's voice made him jump. Glancing back at his friends, he realized they were both impatiently staring at him. "What happened earlier?"

"Let me ask this first: what do you know about that girl?" He gestured towards where she sat.

"Oh, you mean Maura?" Sam's voice was full of spite. "She's been trying to suck up to Paulina over the last two years. Apparently, she managed to get into Queen Bee's good graces enough to be acknowledged as her unofficial successor. She's just as mean and shallow as the rest of them. Why?"

"Because, according to the news, she went missing on a local trail around the same time we went missing in the forest. Eww! Tucker!"

Tucker's apology for sitting out his drink was short as he brought out his PDA. After a few quick taps, he brandished it in front of him. After Sam snatched it from him, she and Danny discovered he brought up the article that matched the new report Danny saw. "Dude, that's really weird."

"I'd have to agree." After Sam glanced at the article, she glanced towards the girl. "They found her in a dazed state but uninjured?"

"What was she even doing other there anyways?"

"With your attempts to hit on most of the girls in the school, I'm surprised you didn't know." Sam raised a questioning eyebrow towards Tucker. "She's a member of the cross country team. From what I've overheard, it's fairly normal for her to train on the trails around the area."

"Oh, I forgot about that."

"Do you know anything else about her? What?" Danny hadn't expected Sam to scowl at him. "Look, I get you don't like her, but the news said something about how her parents said she felt off to them. And when we made eye contact earlier, it was like my entire being screamed something was very wrong and very dangerous." He glanced in Maura's direction again. "Look at the way she's sitting. Something doesn't feel right."

"Danny, did you ever think it was possibly less supernatural?" A sigh escaped Sam when he just raised an eyebrow. "She honestly could have just seen something she shouldn't have. I mean, it's not weird for drug dealers, cultists, and other people who don't want to be seen do their business in the woods." After glancing back over towards Maura, a deep frown crossed Sam's face. "It is weird that it happened the same day though."

"Hmm… maybe. I mean, it did happen the same day. Can we just keep an eye on her, just to be safe?"

"I'm cool with it." Tucker adjusted his glasses before glancing back at the A-listers.

"Of course you would be." Sam shook her head in disapproval before turning back to Danny. "I think you're being paranoid, but I'll let you know if I see or hear anything weird."

"I appreciate it." While he knew his friends were humoring him, Danny couldn't help but feel somewhat relieved. After a moment, a memory from the morning came to mind. "Hey, did either of you see a lot of police this morning? There were a bunch a few blocks away from my house."

Instead of immediately replying, Tucker paled as he quickly checked something on his PDA. "Damn it, there was another one."

"Another what?" Both Sam and Danny echoed as Tucker shoved the PDA into Danny's hand. A brief glance showed the article was about a recent death in Amity Park.

Before Danny had a chance to read more, Tucker launched into a hushed explanation. "You guys know my mom works for the 911 call center, right? Well, she said something about there being a lot of weird deaths recently."

"Weird how? Like normal weird, as in 'person's weird hobby got them'? Or strange weird as in 'that's effed up'?"

"Like 'that's effed up'. Sam, you need to stop laying off the true crime shows if you're make distinctions like that. Anyways," the techno-geek leaned in as he lowered his voice again, "when my mom asked a police officer friend about it, he stated that they think there might be a serial killer."

"A what?" Danny felt the blood run from his face. Did Tucker really just say what he thought he did?

"Dude, keep your voice down! But yeah, that's what they're thinking because the victims all have something important 'missing from their person'."

An uneasy sensation pooled at the bottom of Danny's stomach. "What exactly is missing?"

A frown crossed Tucker's face before he responded. "You know, I'm not really sure. Mom doesn't want to say anything about it. I just chalked it up to the police not wanting to spread information on what they have."

"But you'd think if it was something as simple as a personal item, they'd could at least specify that," Sam mentioned. After glancing around to make sure no one was nearby, she continued. "That makes me worried there's something more sinister going on."

"You're the true crime expert. How common is that?"

"It's extremely common for killers to take souvenirs, but it's insanely rare for them to… err… take part of a body." Her voice pitched in discomfort as she spoke.

"And on that note, I think I've lost my appetite."

Sam grabbed his arm as he went to stand. "Come on, Danny. That's most likely not what's happening here."

"With everything else we've recently dealt with and learned, that's not something I want to hear. Do you remember what Frostbite told us? Do you remember what you said Plasmius talked about? I don't want to get paranoid for no reason." With that, he gathered his items and walked off.

….

As the week came to a close, Danny noted it almost seemed the entire town was on edge. People on the streets spoke in quiet whispers about what the police were doing. His fellow students tended to go straight home after school instead of hanging out in the normal spots. Even the animals seemed on edge. Several times he caught dogs whimpering if their owners stopped for any reason.

His parents' research did little to help his unease. Their scanners signaled several times that week. According to his mother, they were detecting electrical abnormalities, but the abnormalities only seemed to last for a few minutes. His parents were concerned about the sudden spike in them and were doing all they could to attempt to find some sort of explanation. People also started calling around the times of the spikes reporting sightings of odd shadows.

To make matters worse, he was having trouble falling asleep. Normally, he'd chalk it up to insomnia, but his body didn't seem to feel tired in the morning after only three or four hours. It was as if the normal amount of sleep was just not needed. While he wasn't certain if it was a weird side effect of his ghostly affliction, Sam's mention of ghosts drawing energy from strong emotions often came to mind. He hoped that wasn't the case, but he couldn't outright dismiss it.

Around eleven in the morning on Saturday, he received a text from Tucker. It simply said he had some important information for him and Sam, and that he wanted them to meet up. Sam immediately offered her home as her parents were out of town for the weekend. After sending his reply, Danny got ready and headed out.

Normally, it only took ten to fifteen minutes on his electric scooter to reach Sam's, but he decided to take a slightly longer route to give himself a little longer to clear his thoughts. Rounding a corner to go through a commonly used alleyway, he came to a screeching stop as a cold chill and the feeling of wrongness overcame his body. Clutching his chest, his breath misted in front of him as he glanced around the alley.

Nothing seemed off, but the feeling refused to go away. Unnerved, he decided he needed to get out of there as quickly as possible. However, when he rounded the corner that would allow him to pass behind some of the buildings he found something he was unable to register what was in front of him.

His mind eventually processed the sound of dripping and an angry hiss, and almost like fog lifting from his eyes, he finally made sense of the scene. Someone was lying on the ground. Blood completely covered his chest and must have come from the large wound in the center of it. Danny was almost certain the man wasn't breathing.

Something stood almost protectively over the body. It was mostly humanoid, but the sickly gray of its skin and skeletal frame showed it certainly wasn't human. Black eyes seemed to glow in hatred. Something red and dripping blood rested in its hand.

Danny backed away in fear. He had no idea what the thing was, but he knew it was dangerous. To make matters worse, it knew he was there. Slowly, he decided to back away from it. At first, it seemed like it was fine with his retreat, but after sticking whatever it was holding inside its own chest, it dropped its hands to the grounds and walked forward on its knuckles.

Not knowing what else to do, Danny ran. As soon as he turned his back, the thing bolted after him. He barely made it halfway back through the alley before the thing was on top of him. As it tried to attack, he managed to knock it aside. The thing growled before lunging again. It was too close for him to attempt to escape, so he help up his hands and braced himself.

But no attack ever came. Instead, the thing bounced off of a translucent green wall with a sickening splat. After a few dazed steps and a shake of the head, it hissed while appraised whether or not it could get to him. It hesitantly touched the wall, only to pull back its hand with a yelp of pain. After baring its teeth, it stepped backwards. As it moved, its body jerked, cracked, and popped as it slowly morphed into what appeared to be an old woman.

As it disappeared around the corner, Danny's knees gave way, and the strange green wall disappeared. He just stared in the direction where the thing disappeared as his mind tried to process exactly what just happened. It wasn't until his phone buzzed, that he clambered to his feet and ran out of the alley. His fingers shook as he called the police.

...

The police and paramedics arrived in less than ten minutes. As the police examined the scene, the paramedics treated Danny for mild shock. While he sat on the rear step of the ambulance, he watched the police did their job.

Most of the officers wore grim expressions. Some whispered to each other. One of the younger ones had to excuse himself as he felt sick from the sight of the victim. Eventually, one of the older officers approached him for a statement.

Danny tried to be as truthful as possible. He described the creature as a thin and sickly looking person. After some internal debates, he finished by explaining it looked different as it moved away.

"Son, what do you mean?" There was a deep edge in the officer's voice. "You better not be messing with me."

"I… I really don't know. Maybe it… he had one of those creepy realistic masks or something, but I'm telling you, he looked different right before it disappeared."

The officer frowned as he stared at Danny. "I don't think you're lying, but shock sometimes warps what we think we see. Next week we'll call you to the station to make an official statement." He sighed before continuing. "We've contacted your parents. One of my juniors will take you home. Take it easy for the rest of the weekend, you hear me?"

After another fifteen minutes, Danny found himself in the front seat of a cruiser. Neither Danny nor the officer spoke for the entirety of the ride, and soon, they were in front of Fenton Works. After telling Danny to stay safe, the officer left him to be swept into the arms of his mother.

His mother was understandably scared. The officer who called the house told her there was an incident and that he was okay, but due to the investigation, he was unable to give any details. After letting her have a few tears of relief, he asked if they could go inside. Maddie ushered him into the house.

His father and friends were waiting for him in the living room. Sam rushed over to him to pull him into a hug while his dad and Tucker shared a smirk. His mother excused herself to go get everyone hot chocolate and cookies. Once she returned, Danny told them what happened. Unlike with the officers, the only detail he left out was the green wall.

He knew his friends would ask why he was so open with his parents, but without knowing exactly what he saw, he figured the two paranormal experts would be the best source for information. And, he wasn't disappointed.

"Sweetie, you know it was probably a person, but your father and I will do some digging," his mother promised. "You described something that sounds too much like some of the legends in Native American folklore. And with all of the abnormalities we've been detecting recently, I don't want to be foolish enough to rule it out."

"Don't worry, Dann-o." His father's grin was infectious. "We'll find those spooks and take care of them for you. To the lab."

As the behemoth of a man disappeared down the stairs to the lab, his mother just fondly shook her head. "Get some rest. Sam, Tucker, let me take you home. I don't think your parents would be too happy with me if I didn't."

"Thanks Mrs. F. I appreciate it. Can I take some cookies home? My mom loves your snickerdoodles."

"Sure, let me go get a container for you."

When she disappeared into the kitchen, Danny leaned forward and whispered. "Thanks for the distraction, Tuck. Guys, one other thing did happen. I… I think one of my abilities activated. I'll call you guys later with the details. It's probably the only reason that thing didn't kill me."

Before either of his friends could reply, his mother returned to the room carrying a container full of cookies. "Alright you two, let's get going."

Once he was left alone in the living room, Danny decided it was the perfect time to get a shower. After everything that happened, it would help him sort through his thoughts. He hoped his parents were right. Maybe it was just a strange looking man, but the wrongness of what he saw and the thing's transformation told him otherwise.

* * *

I'm not sure how familiar people will be with it, but Cross Country Running is a type of long distance running, and at least in the US, it's a Fall sport. However, it's not on a track or indoors. Runners are usually on fields, trails, the in woods, etc., depending on the area. If you're in the Allegheny plateau, it's common to see the trails involve hills and/or some type of wooded area.

So, the story I mentioned in the previous chapter, because I still can't find it, was submitted to a YouTuber channel that goes by "Darkness Prevails." The channel tends to read a lot of accounts submitted to it. And while the stories cannot be verified under most circumstances, all stories are claimed true by the submitters.

The story that heavily inspired part of this is from a narrator who explained that her dad barred her from seeing a family friend (who she viewed as an uncle) and his wife, after they returned from a camping trip. She ended up encountering the family friend a couple years later and was invited to the home. She stated her uncle acted strangely and barely noticed her. The house was unkempt and stunk, and there seemed to be a strange substance everywhere. After being lured to the kitchen, her uncle tried attacking her, and she managed to escape and contact the police. She was told her uncle had seemingly up and left a few years prior.

Understandably upset, she asked her dad what happened during that trip. The dad stated that while he and the uncle were gathering fire wood, what sounded like a pack of coyotes, wolves, or other canines (feral dog packs do happen, but I'm personally uncertain of how common attacks are) surrounded them. Scared, they tried to book it back to the camp, but the friend fell and injured his leg. The dad, now convinced something unnatural and evil was trying to catch them, ran off. He thought his friend was dead, and when he got back to camp, tried to get his wife, and the friend's wife to call for help. However, they heard the friend call from the forest, and his wife ran out to find them. When they returned, they seemed off. They spoke strangely and walked stiffly. Normal tasks seemed to baffle them. The dad didn't know what happened to his friend and his wife, but he was convinced that what was left was something impersonating them.

Stories like this pop up in folklore, and there are a lot of online stories telling of similar encounters. However, it is difficult to tell what's a true account and what might be a "Creepypasta." There is a rather famous folklore entity in First Nation stories in the Southwest US that is sometimes said to wear others skins, but out of respect for traditions and the fact saying the name is supposed to bring bad luck, I will not name it (I've had enough bad luck as it is in the last few months, thank you very much). However, I will also mention, the stories of it do differ by tribe. The most famous stories are from the Navajo. However, there is also a spirit called Kanaima from the Carib tribes that is somewhat similar. Some renditions of Wendigos (traditionally Algonquin) also put them in this category. A Kee-wakw (Abenaki) might also fall into this.

And then I managed to combine the story with some of the information I know about the entity known as a Raven Mocker (from Cherokee lore). It's another rather unsettling creature, and some accounts have it change shapes.


	13. Chapter 13

So, I wrote half of this while I was hyped up on sugar, caffeine, and exhaustion (work allowed me to have like 5 pieces of cake at 9pm). Please, if you notice errors, point them out so I can fix them.

* * *

Chapter 13

After his mother made sure he ate something light, Danny escaped to his bedroom and set up a video chat with his friends. Once all of them were certain they would not be overheard, Danny told them about the strange green wall that saved him from whatever tried to attack him.

His friends were convinced it had something to do with his ghostly side. However, he wasn't as certain. Up until that point, the only ghostly abilities he'd seen were the random bouts of invisibility and intangibility of his arms and legs. Not only that, he hadn't been able to switch to his ghostly appearance since he returned from the other side.

Although it took a while, he eventually opened up to his friends about the little information he had about his abilities. Instead of being freaked out, they seemed fascinated. After a quick argument, Danny eventually gave in and agreed to let them attempt to help him figure things out.

It wasn't exactly the result he wanted. While he knew he was alive, he couldn't ignore the fact part of him wasn't exactly human. Up until he was released from the hospital, he thought he might be able to ignore what happened to him. However, between the events at school and whatever the thing that tried attacking him was, he knew it was impossible. Clockwork and Frostbite even warned him he might be in danger in the world of the living.

Speaking of Clockwork, how would the ghost contact him? Or better yet, how would Danny contact him? Did the ghost know what that thing was? Or how it could be stopped? If anything, that was the sort of very important information he needed.

Danny sighed and prepared for bed. He hoped everything would start making more sense in the morning.

….

When he finally wandered down to the kitchen the next morning for breakfast, Danny was surprised to find Vlad Masters talking with his parents. His unofficial uncle stood and swept him into a hug once he realized he was there.

"Daniel, I'm so happy to see you're alright." Vlad made a show of being concerned once he released him. "I'm deeply sorry I was unable to visit you when you were hospitalized. Between the police investigation from both my employee's and your class' disappearances and the resulting paperwork, it was impossible to make the trip."

As much as Danny usually didn't mind the visits from Vlad, today, the man sent shivers down his spine. It didn't make any sense. As unnerved as he was, he figured he was just being paranoid and tried to shrug it off. "It's fine. I mean, I know how busy you are. I did get your 'get well' gift though. I can't believe you were able to get the blue prints for that shuttle! It usually takes at least a few years for NASA to release information like that."

"It was no trouble at all, my boy. But, your parents told me something troubling. You were attacked yesterday?"

Danny just shrugged as he grabbed some of the pancakes waiting on the counter. "Yeah, the police are looking for the guy," he eventually answered after he sat down and took a bite.

"Honey, Vlad's here at our request." After raising a questioning eyebrow at his mother, she explained, "Your father and I did some digging on the thing you saw yesterday. On accident, we discovered other similar reports, not just from here, but from other places where there have been a lot of strange deaths. To be blunt, Danny we're not exactly sure what you saw, but we're becoming worried something dangerous has started crossing over into our world."

"So why…?"

His dad startled everyone by pulling Vlad into a side hug. "Your mom contacted Vladdy here to see if he had some contacts for our research, and he decided he wanted to directly get involved. Isn't that great?"

His mom fondly shook her head as Vlad tried to pull himself out of his dad's grasp. "What your father means is that Vlad has offered to both fund and assist with the research this time around," his mother clarified.

"I felt it was prudent I was more directly involved," Vlad explained as he straightened out his suit. "If I understood what your parents told me correctly, you didn't see a person?" With that question, the normal businessman seemed to vanish, and a stranger suddenly appeared in his place as his expression turned predatory.

The expression reminded Danny of Plasmius, and it made the uneasy feeling worse. "Uh… I told my parents everything I saw." He quickly finished his pancakes and ignored the desire to get a second helping. His parents even got the real maple syrup this time. It was so tempting, but he needed to get away from Vlad. Once his plate was rinsed and put in the sink, he headed towards the doorway. "Well, I need to get going. I promised Sam and Tucker I would meet up with them."

"Young man, you're not seriously thinking about going out today after everything that happened?"

He just rolled his eyes at his mother. "I think as long as I stick to the main streets and don't try to dodge behind buildings again I'll be fine." Before he left the room, he glanced at Vlad. "Hey… this might sound weird, but… uh, has anyone else gone missing from your company?"

The man's eyes narrowed at the question. "I'm not sure I understand what you mean, Daniel."

"It's nothing. Forget I said anything." Not wanting to be questioned any further, Danny ran out of the room to get ready. After getting ready in record time, he sped from the house and towards the park.

….

Well, he could have done a better job at forming an escape plan. Sure, he managed to get to the park without being attacked or having his parents decide they needed to follow him, but he wasn't supposed to meet up with Sam and Tucker for another hour. Groaning, he plopped himself down on an empty bench and reviewed his options.

He could continue to sit where he was, but being a teenager, boredom would quickly get to him. Checking his phone, he realized he probably didn't have enough of a charge to keep him entertained while he waited. Now that he thought about it, ever since his misadventure to the land of the dead, it had trouble keeping a charge. Something about that place probably fried it.

Not wanting to risk it going dead, he thought about his other options. Fast food was out. Tucker would kill him if he took a trip to the Nasty Burger without him. He could walk around town, but after what happened yesterday, he really didn't want to risk running into whatever that thing was again. Actually, what was he doing in the middle of the park, alone, when that thing was running around town?

Paranoid, he glanced around. Other than a couple nearby trees, his current position put him in a rather open area of the park. No one or thing would easily be able to sneak up on him, and now that he thought about it, the weird feeling he got before it appeared wasn't present. While he wasn't completely relieved, it was better than nothing, and it still left him with nothing to do.

He checked the area again. The park was strangely empty for the time of day, though with all the strange things happening around town, he figured people were just staying away. So, maybe he could try to work on control his abilities a little. Having some sort of handle on the invisibility and intangibility would be nice.

After setting an alarm on his phone so he wouldn't forget to meet up with his friends, he started focusing on his hands. When his abilities activated, it often felt as if the affected limb went numb, so he focused on that. However, attempting to will his own arm to go numb was just as hard as it seemed, and he quickly grew frustrated. Though, he did notice a cold child run up his spine.

"How quaint. Didn't your allies give you any information when they helped you escape?"

Startled at the voice, Danny jump up only to find Plasmius floating behind him. As he backed away, he realized the scenery changed. The purple and green swirls of the sky immediately alerted him to the fact he was back in the land of the dead. How in the world did Plasmius do that?

"It's a nice trick, isn't it? But it's really not that hard. Creatures like us who have ties to this world can easily slip into it. It's only difficult when we try to bring the living with us."

"I'll remember that," Danny replied dryly. "What… what do you want?"

"There are many things that I want," the creature admitted, "but right now, I'm only interested in your progress and possibly to trade some information."

"Well, I'm still living, if that's what you want."

"Yes, but not quite. While I loathe to say I'm not as skilled in being able to detect other ghosts and spirits as some of the others I've encountered, I can still detect the faint thrum of a ghostly core within you. Why don't you change into your more fitting form?"

"More fitting?" Danny repeated faintly. This thing thought him looking like a ghost was more fitting? "Sorry to disappoint you, but I haven't been able to chance since I came home."

"Really? With how much ambient energy is available in your home, I would have thought it would have occurred fairly regularly as you adjusted. No matter. It seems your body is naturally responding to this world."

"Huh?" His attention turned to the flash of light around his midsection. Knowing what that meant, he hugged his stomach as he tried to stop the process. His core was active. He could feel its power trying to surge through him. "Come on. Stop it." He didn't want to give Plasmius what he wanted, but his feeble attempts meant nothing and the power overcame him. As he fell to his knees as his body recovered from the recoil of trying to stop it, he sensed Plasmius float closer to him.

"It's remarkable how human you still look in that form. I would have thought there would have been a more drastic change as your core settled."

"You mean you were expecting me to look something more like you?"

"No, not necessarily like me, but it is unusual to find a ghost who could easily pass as a human without attempting to hide anything."

Standing, Danny glared at the specter. "Are you just here to marvel at how weird I am? Or can I go now?" It was one thing for him to be unsettled by the changes, but he didn't need some creepy ghost, who happened to be partially responsible for what happened to him, commenting on how he was different than other ghosts. Of course he was different! He was still human.

The ghost pinched the bridge of his nose and sighed. "I am getting somewhat sidetracked. Now, Daniel, like I said, I approached you for information and nothing more. Firstly, what do you know of what is stalking this city? You encountered it recently, did you not?"

"How did you…?" A chill ran down Danny's spine as he backed away. Was this thing spying on him?

"I believe I mentioned that I do try to keep taps on you. I still have not given up on wanting you to become my eventual heir after all, but rumors of it and others like it have been circling for a while. Ghosts older than I despise them, but it has been difficult to procure information regarding them."

"You probably know more than I do then," Danny replied. Plasmius did seem like he only wanted to talk, but that didn't mean he could change his mind. If he did decide he wanted to attack, there was little Danny could do to stop him. If he was able to get out of this, he was definitely going to focus on working on his powers just so he could defend himself against Plasmius. "It looked like a deformed person. It… it…" The memory of it holding something red and the sound of dripping blood made his stomach turn. "It took… part of that person. When it left, it turned into an old lady."

Plasmius frowned as he mulled over the information. "Daniel, what exactly did it take?"

The image flashed across his mind again, and his shook his head to try to get rid of it. "Look, I don't know. There was blood down the front of the guy's chest. It was part of his body. I don't want to think about it anymore."

"Hmm… I wonder if that was the intention or an afterthought. I will investigate that. If it was intentional, then the rumors I've heard may in fact be true," the ghost muttered to himself before glancing at Danny again. "Now, I have one final bit of information I need from you. What exactly do you know of my involvement with the companies of Vlad Masters?" His almost friendly attitude turned icy.

"Involvement?" Danny replied nervously. He could feel Plasmius' energy building, and he knew the specter wouldn't hesitate to attack if he wasn't careful enough with his words. "All I know if that you took one of Vlad's employees for experiments." After debating for a moment, he slowly added, "The person who helped me escape said you've done a lot of experiments like that. Wait, are you spying on Vlad so you can get new people for whatever you're doing?"

Nothing he said was technically a lie. However, he was definitely wasn't going to say anything about how Tucker managed to copy some of the ghost's files and discovered he was spying on what seemed like all aspects of Vlad's companies. Yeah, that was going to remain a secret.

Plasmius narrowed his eyes which prompted Danny to back away. "Butter biscuits! I seem to have unintentionally given away too much. I believe our meeting has come to an end, but mark my words, boy, it would do you well to stay out of my business. What I'm doing is to benefit both of us." With that warning, he faded from view.

Danny spun around to attempt to figure out where he went only to find himself back in the park. There didn't seem to be any sign of Plasmius, and he didn't seem to have any of the weird chills he tended to get before something strange happened.

He should be happy he hadn't been injured by the other ghost, but the interaction left him unsettled. How did Plasmius know where he was? Was he stalking him? Actually, seeing as the ghost orchestrated an entire scheme to get to him when his school was on a camping trip that was probably the case. To make matters worse, now that he was something in between a human and a ghost, Plasmius could pull another stunt like that any time he wanted.

Not wanting to stay out in the open any longer, he grabbed his phone and ran. According to the clock, he still had some time before he needed to meet up with his friends, but that was not going to deter him from going to Sam's house. As silly as it was, her parents' anti-paranormal stance almost acted as an unofficial ward. If anything tried creating chaos in that house, he was positive Mrs. Manson would somehow throw it out of the house by sheer force of will.

Once he was out of the park, he took a moment to text Sam to let her know he was on the way. While he knew she wouldn't exactly mind if he showed up early, it was still better to let her know so she could keep her parents at bay. The only tolerated him after all.

When he was done, he noticed something off about his reflection. His hair was still white. Panicked, he checked himself, and sure enough, it seemed as if he was still in his ghost form. He tried to trigger the change, but he had no idea what to do to reverse it. When he was with Frostbite, his body just seemed to do it automatically. Not wanting to say out in the open any longer than he had to, he ran.

As he approached Sam's house, he called her to give her a heads up on his problem. Her response was to have him climb up the rope ladder she had for her regular escapes so he could get to her room without risking her parents seeing him before the problem was fixed.

Ten minutes and one harrowing rope ladder climb later (seriously, that thing was a safety hazard), Danny found himself sitting on Sam's bed while she examined him. Her pokes and prods made him self-conscious to the point where he actually pulled away from her.

"I get it. I look weird, but will you seriously stop?"

She shook her head as she sat down beside him. "In all honesty, you don't look that weird at all. Compared to the last time I saw you like this, you actually look healthy." When he gave her an incredulous look, she grabbed his hands. "What? I'm being serious. Aside from the glow, you look fine. The first time, you had this weird green tinge to your skin which was really creepy."

"Thanks? I think?"

Realizing she was still holding his hands, she let go and stood up. "Ignoring that, my parents are actually still home for once. Let's see if we can get you back to normal, well, your version of it, that is." At his indignant 'hey', she just laughed.

* * *

So, the little jab about real maple syrup... To be honest, I don't care for the stuff, but so many people I know make a clear distinction between normal store bought maple syrup and the "real" stuff (apparently you just have to double check what you grab?). And because I'm thinking about it, Karo isn't fake maple syrup; it's corn syrup.

Did you know it's fun to write Plasmius? His speech is a bit odd as he tends to attempt to sound as educated as possible while still throwing in some causal aspects. I find it that balance fun to write.


	14. Chapter 14

Happy Halloween! It's a little late, but it's still the 31st somewhere. Again, the chapter is not beta'ed. Please feel free to point out errors.

* * *

Chapter 14

"Well, at least we know your parents could hire him to clean their ceilings if he stays stuck up there."

"You're not helping, Tucker," Danny snapped at him from his spot on the ceiling.

More amused than surprised anymore, he just let Sam continue to try to help Danny change back to his human form while he worked on his own project. When Sam messaged him earlier that there was an issue, he hadn't expected to walk into Sam's room and find Danny, in all his ghostly glory, sitting cross-legged on the ceiling above Sam's bed and having a panic attack. After taking in the absurdity of the situation, he tried for several minutes to help Sam somehow get him down. When all rescue attempts failed, mostly because Danny couldn't seem to hold on to anything they threw at him, Sam moved to a different tactic. She hoped getting him to relax would somehow help.

Since that wasn't his forte, Tucker decided his way of helping would be to finish reviewing the information he got from Plasmius while making comments about his friend's predicament. Although he knew the digs annoyed Danny and Sam, he needed to do it for his own sanity.

Up until this point, Tucker really hadn't registered the paranormal as being truly real. Sure, they did get abducted by a crazed ghost and then attacked by an even crazier ghost, but the more time passed without a ghostly incident, he had almost rationalized it as some stress induced hallucination. Almost being the key word. He knew his best friend had been fundamentally changed by the event, but other than the freak out at school and his now permanently chilly skin, Danny hadn't done anything ghostly until now. Speaking of which…

"How exactly did you end up like this?" he questioned moments before Danny finally fell from the ceiling and landed face first on Sam's bed. "You okay, dude?"

"More okay then I was when I was stuck on the ceiling," he sighed as moved himself to the edge of the bed. His unnatural green eyes scanned the room as if searching for something. "I'm like this because of Plasmius."

"Wait, wait? That's a pretty big thing to neglect to mention."

"I'm sorry I got distracted by discovering I was walking around in my ghost form or whatever you want to call it."

"Don't antagonize him, Tucker. That seems to make things worse," Sam scolded as she pointed at Danny, who started to float again. "See? But that is pretty important."

Danny huffed as he experimentally shifted, making it look like he was just lying on his stomach… in mid-air. Seemingly alright with the position, probably because he was only about a foot above the bed, he continued. "Look, I was planning on immediately telling you guys as soon as Tucker arrived, but I panicked when I realized I couldn't change back. But since that doesn't seem to want to change any time soon, I guess I just explain what happened."

Once Danny was done, Tucker let out a whistle. "That's some story. Glad he let you go, but it's really creepy that he can just pluck you into that other world when he wants."

"Why was he here in the first place?" Sam asked as she worked up enough courage to sit near where Danny was still floating. "That's what's bugging me about it. Was he just really here for information?"

"That's what I don't get either. Whoa! I'd like it if my body would make up… its mind?" As Danny fell onto the bed once again, a blinding light suddenly washed over him. Once it faded, he was back in his human form. "Well, at least that fixes that problem for now."

Deciding not to comment on his friend's obvious relief, Tucker somewhat changed the direction of the conversation. "At least Plasmius confirmed he's interested in Vlad Master's companies for something nefarious. Most of what I've gotten so far on that data are files on different employees."

Danny's eyes lit up at the statement. "Oh, I forgot to tell you. Vlad's in town."

"That's convenient," Sam dryly stated after she shared a look with Tucker. "Why's he here?"

"Apparently, when my parents asked him for help getting some information, he decided he needed to be directly involved. He was visiting when I got up." He glanced down and wrung his hands before adding, "But he seemed really off today."

"Off how?"

"He gave me literal chills. I mean, if I think about it, that's happened when ghosts were around, but not people. He also seemed off… like he was a different person."

Unnerved, Tucker placed his PDA on Sam's desk. "I hate to bring this up, but didn't you say that thing that attacked you was able to change how it looked?"

Danny's eyes widened briefly before he shook his head. "I… I don't think that's it. It was close, but there was still something off about how it looked. It also didn't feel the same… the chill was different. Vlad felt… Vlad felt like Plasmius but not as strong? I don't know how to explain it."

"You mentioned that chill before when you freaked out because of Maura… do you think you can sense other ghosts now?" Tucker felt himself grin despite the situation. "I mean, cuz if you can, that's really useful. I'd like to be able to stay on the complete other side of the city from where that creepy thing is."

"Maybe? I certainly didn't notice anything like it when we were trapped or escaping from Plasmius… but he did say something about how that's possible." A thoughtful expression briefly crossed his face, until he gave a wry grin. "Fat load of good it does if it only goes off when something is like ten feet away."

"Darn. Well, still let me know if you notice anything else weird. I'd like a head start over anything that might harm these good looks."

xxxxxxx

After their initial discussion of what happened, the rest of the time was spent seeing if Danny could get any sort of control over his ghost form. It took a while, but he did manage to find the preverbal trigger for the change. Via a couple hours under Sam's Spartan-equse training, he was finally able to change to and from on command. While he hoped he'd have a chance to work on more of his abilities, it was definitely a success.'

Around dinner, he and Tucker left Sam's and headed to their own respective houses. While his parents were relieved to see him before sundown, he couldn't return the feeling. Vlad was still in the house. According to his parents, the businessman would be staying with them in the guest room for a while.

"A while? How long's a 'while'?" he questioned as he looked for something to drink in the fridge.

"Well, that's up to Vlad," his mother replied as she added a few shakes of something to what smelled like stew. Vlad and his father were still in the lab. "While he's not entirely certain how long he will be able to remain away from his businesses, he's hoping to be able to stay for a couple weeks."

Unhappy with that answer, Danny grabbed his drink and disappeared into his bedroom. If he was honest, he wanted to practice more with his abilities. It would be a shame not to with how much progress he made earlier, but he wasn't exactly certain what tools his dad and Vlad might be using. Some of them where supposedly able to detect differences in energy levels. Without knowing the specifics of his abilities, he really didn't want to clue them in.

Actually, was he ever going to tell his parents? That was a good question. Right now, when he didn't have much control or understanding over anything, it didn't seem like a good idea. Perhaps down the road? Maybe. Actually, maybe they might have so information regarding what happened to him.

A little later, his parents called him down for dinner. For him, it was a relatively normal affair, save for the chills Vlad kept giving him. Seriously, what was up with that? Vlad had been a fixture in his life for years, and there was never an issue before. Maybe Plasmius somehow influenced him or something? He guessed it was possible. There were legends about ghosts doing stuff like that, but he had no idea how to even begin figuring that out.

After dinner, he once again retreated to his room. Frustrated, he decided a few hours of Doomed would be a good distraction from everything.

…..

Right around three am, something woke Danny. Rubbing his eyes, he realized he fell asleep gaming. Stretching, he turned off the game before checking one of his drawers for clean pjs. Deciding it wasn't worth it, he headed to his bed only to stop when his breath misted in front of him.

Now wide awake, he stopped and listened. There were the normal sounds of the furnace and his dad's snores. Wait, the furnace? Then why could he see his breath a moment ago? Spooked, he opened his door as quietly as possible and stuck his head out into the hallway.

Nothing seemed out of place. No one was in the hall. There was no light from his parents' room or the spare bedroom Vlad was using. Deciding something still didn't seem right, he crept down the hall and peaked down the stairs.

Eyes, dark eyes with a faint red glow, peaked out at him from the darkness of the living room. Knowing whatever it was saw him, he panicked and ran towards his parents' room. "Mom! Dad! There's something in the house!" he yelled as he frantically beat on the locked door. Of course it was one of those nights.

"Oh my god, what is that thing?" Vlad's voice and the growl that followed forced his attention to the staircase. The sickly gray color of its skin made it somehow stand out in the shadows. The creature, the same one Danny encountered in the alleyway, stood in all its horrible glory at the top of the stairs. Its face was twisted in a grotesque snarl, and it swayed slightly. With an uneasy jolt, Danny realized the thing seemed to be debating who to go after first.

At the sound of the lock on his parents' door turning, the thing lunged forward. Danny barely had time to register his mother pulling him into the room while his father roared, "Eat this!"

The familiar whine of one of his parents' blasters powering up was followed by a blinding green blast and then another. As his parents decided to chase the thing, he curled up behind the door. The sounds of the blasts and something else, something unnatural, crashing into furniture could be heard from the downstairs.

How did that thing get in the house? Better yet, how did it find him? It was his fault. He needed to help, but what could he do? He had no ability to fight against it. Heck, he still didn't know what it was other than dangerous and evil.

When the sounds in the downstairs stopped, he held his breath and waited. A sigh of relief escaped him when his mother called for him and Vlad. Not caring he was a teenager and by default hated hugs from family members, raced to his mother's side and embraced her. Understanding he was frightened, she rubbed his back and reassured him she was fine.

"Sorry to interrupt," the light snapped on to reveal blast marks, destroyed furniture, and Vlad appraising the scene from the bottom step, "but what exactly was that thing? Should I contact the police?"

Embarrassed someone saw him, Danny quickly let go and retreated a few steps. His mother smiled at him before replying, "It's already been taken care of." She pointed to what Danny recognized as the button of one of the alarm systems; it was flashing. "Jack's checking the perimeter to make sure that thing is gone. In the meantime, I'm going to make us hot chocolate."

"But what if that thing comes back? Surely Jack wouldn't just leave you alone."

She flashed him a grin as she held up a miniature blaster. "Thank you for being concerned, but I'm actually the better shot between the two of us."

After glancing at Vlad, who seemed both dumbfounded and proud, Danny hurried into the kitchen after his mother. He really didn't want to leave her side if that thing came back.

"Danny," his mother stated after they were seated at the kitchen table with hot chocolate in hand, "be honest with me, was that the same thing you saw in the alleyway?"

He took a sip of his drink before answering her. "I… I think so. I mean, I'm not exactly sure if it was the same thing or not, but it looked similar."

"You're telling me that's the thing you're researching?" Vlad sounded surprised, but Danny noticed how tightly he gripped his mug. Why did he seem angry? "That thing was an abomination."

His mother nodded. "While there are some stories regarding things like that in folklore, most of the recent ones seem to be more fiction than fact, so Jack and I tended to disregard them." She sent him an apologetic smile, "However, with Danny's report, we decided to look into it and didn't like what we found. That's why we reached out because we needed to get the resources to verify the data."

"What do you mean you didn't like what you found?" His whole body felt icy again, but this time, it seemed to be from fear and not some paranormal creature.

"I want to verify something with the officers," she glanced at the clock on the wall before muttering, "when they finally get here first. However, if Jack didn't manage to get it, I'm not sure if it'll come back or not. We definitely wounded it," she pointed to a spot in the living room where something wet, dark, and faintly glowing could be seen, "but I don't know if that was enough to ward it off or if it's vengeful enough to return."

"But why was it here?"

"If I may?" Vlad glanced at his mother, who nodded. "If it was in fact the same creature Daniel saw, it may have come for him, or, it simply could have been drawn to the house. Forgive me, but you do have a lot of ectoplasm and other potential energy sources on hand."

"Hmm… we have been meaning to update our storage devices. That can easily be done, but if Danny is a target, that would be much harder to fix." His mother reached out and gently put her hand on his. "Sweetie, don't take this the wrong way, but your father and I are worried you might have been changed because of your disappearances."

That was putting it lightly, he ruefully thought. However, instead of agreeing, he asked her to explain what she meant.

"Well, you know we theorized you temporarily slipped into a different dimension when you were younger? It's possible that somehow altered you. Pass reports of those 'spirited away' often report the person was somehow changed. Since before you seemed fine, save for the times we caught you staring as if you saw something we couldn't, we figured you may have developed a sensitivity to the paranormal."

He nodded. That made sense. Although, he was embarrassed his parents picked up on how he sometimes saw those shadows. Apparently he didn't do nearly as good of a job as he thought at keeping that a secret.

His mother bit her lip before continuing. "But, this past time… something changed. I know you told the police you were abducted by a person, but the complete disappearance and then reappearance… and that none of you who disappeared could be tracked… and the injuries… and how that poor boy was found… it never made sense it was a human. And when you came back, the changes in your vitals, we knew there was something more to it. You don't have to tell me anything if you're not ready," she added when she noticed his panicked expression, "but whatever changed might have made you something like beacon to creatures of other worlds."

His mouth felt dry. His parents actually suspected there was something off about him, and they just accepted it? Should he tell them how much he really changed? No, Vlad was in the house. He didn't need to know anything about it. However, he could start probing for some of the answers he wanted. "If… if I have changed, how…?"

"We're not exactly sure what will happen in the long run," she replied as she picked up on his train of questioning. "Old accounts vary, and it's difficult distinguishing fact and legend. Anyways, Danny I just want to verify the thing that attacked us tonight and whoever abducted you on the camping trip are not the same thing."

He violently shook his head. "No, they're completely different…"He debated with himself for a moment. Should he tell her about Plasmius appearing? Or the thing Clockwork discovered? Or the horde that attacked Sam, Tucker, and their classmates on the way back? "At least, whoever took me, Sam, and Tucker was completely different. I don't know what grabbed the others." That was true enough.

Vlad remained unusually quiet during the exchange, but unlike other times where he seemed disinterested or involved, this time it seemed like he was mulling over something. Also, Danny hadn't missed the way his eyes narrowed when he added on the information about the camping abduction.

A knock at the door spooked everyone. They turned to see his dad opening the door followed by a couple police officers. "I found the police!" he said with a grin. "They thought it was another false alarm."

"False alarm? False alarm?" His mother stood and marched over to the officers who were taking stock of the damage with wide eyes. "My family gets attacked, and you have the nerve to think it was a false alarm? If my husband and I didn't have the means to defend ourselves, we would have been killed!"

Danny just sighed and continued sipping his drink as he watched his mother scold the officers. His dad joined him. Both of them knew it was better to let her get it out of her system than to try to get involved. Besides, he'd probably never get to see police officers get chewed out like that ever again. Now if only he had some popcorn.

* * *

Note: for those of you not as familiar with English… actually, I don't even know if this is more of an American thing or not… sometimes when things are being explained, we'll add "ish" is "equse" to a word. 'ish' is almost like adding "kind of" or "around" to the word. "equse" tends to indicate "it's similar".

Also, if it hadn't been implied earlier, Maddie and Jack are going to be involved/decent parents in this fic. It makes sense with how this story is laid out – their son has gone mysteriously missing 3 times. They try to keep an eye on him. Also, I've personally seen how parents notice things like that. My dad let it slip during a time I was struggling with a family death (I tend to hide my emotions and keep up with appearances) that he noticed I was having a hard time. Dad isn't the best with understanding depression, and his job kept him away from home a lot, but he picked up on something almost no one else did. That taught me parents are so much more observant than we think they are. (If you're wondering, my dad will do his best to be there for you, but if you don't openly say anything, he'll keep a respectful distance.)


	15. Chapter 15

Merry Christmas! Happy holidays! Huzzah!

So, can I say I'm honestly blown away by the sheer amount of favorites and alerts for this story? Cuz I am. I'm going to assume I'm doing something right. And again, the chapter hasn't been beta'ed, so please let me know if you find any errors.

Also, thank you everyone for your reviews and comments. I really do appreciate them. I'm sadly a bit scatterbrained when remembering to reply to someone so I deeply apologize if I forgot to send a response. I also want to mention that I'm in the process of trying to find a new job or get a department transfer

And, I finally made an account on AO3. This story is being cross-posted under the same name, and my user name is almost the same (underscores instead of spaces). The story ID is 51666199.

* * *

Chapter 15

It took almost twenty minutes for Danny's mom to finish her tirade against the police. Watching her flip out on the officers was almost therapeutic, and by the time she was done, he was more amused then terrified. It made the actual interview much easier.

The police were initially skeptical, especially since his dad took the lead on explaining what happened. His childish excitement at getting to chase something made it sound like some made up fantasy, but that changed when Vlad gave his account. With his reputation, they were forced to take it seriously.

The older of the two officers, O'Brian, took the statements as his partner, Kiziah, reviewed the scene for any clues or evidence of how the creature got in the house. Other police offers were on the way to do a proper investigation.

"You're the one that reported that murder… That was just, I guess it's two days ago now," O'Brian mentioned as he glanced at Danny, who nodded. "We chalked up the weirdness of your original statement due to shock, but if you're telling me this thing is the same perp, I have no idea what we have on our hands."

"I… I don't really know if it was the same thing or not, but it looked like it."

The officer frowned as his partner returned. "No obvious sign of a break in," Kiziah stated, "but I don't want to touch anything without an evidence kit. There's definitely a weird substance in the living room and near the front door that will need analyzed."

"You didn't hear anything?" O'Brian looked back towards Danny and his parents.

"To be honest, our family tends to be heavy sleepers," his mother explained as she gave him a sheepish grin. "Jack can sleep through almost anything, and I tend to wear earplugs."

"And I am of the opposite," Vlad stated as he made himself a cup of tea. "However, it wasn't until I heard Daniel sprint up the stairs and bang on his parents' door that I awoke."

"Sorry about that." Danny winced at he glanced at the man. Vlad didn't seem as creepy as he had the previous day, but something still seemed off about him.

The man gave him a dismissive wave. "No worries, my dear boy. I believe your actions were more than understandable given the circumstances."

"Err… I guess you want me to say if I heard anything?" Danny shook his head as the officers stared at him. "I didn't. It… it was just a feeling, you know? Like when you get a sudden chill." That statement was true enough. He figured it probably wouldn't be a good idea to state the more paranormal aspect of it. "I thought I was just being paranoid until I looked down the stairs and that… that thing stared back at me."

An awkward silence fell as O'Brian took some more notes. It was only broken when Kiziah received some sort of notification and moved to let the investigation team in. They quickly went to work examining the scene and looking for anything out of the ordinary. While they worked, an older man with a scar down the right side of his face took O'Brian and Kiziah aside and spoke with them. Once they finished, the older officer approached Danny and his family.

"I'm Lieutenant Metzger, and I've recently been put in charge of the investigation of the recent murders in the city. You've probably heard the rumors this is a serial case. Well, that's true." A muscle moved in the man's cheek as he seemed to debate with himself over how much he could tell them. "Due to some of the details, we were under the impression these were ritualistic in nature and called in the FBI for some help." He sighed before asking, "Is it okay if I sit?"

"Sure," Danny's mother shared a confused look with her husband before she asked the officer if he needed some coffee.

When he agreed, he waited until there was a cup in front of him to continue. "Look, I don't want this being leaked. We don't need people thinking the police force is wasting money on chasing fairy tales." Once the Fenton family agreed, he continued, "You aren't the first one to report something not quite human around the time of the incidences. Due to shock and figuring it was some sort of disguise, we originally disregarded that. However," he glanced around before he leaned in, "one of my own officers gave a report earlier this week of glancing something inhuman. It actually attacked his patrol car before it vanished. On top of that, I don't think whatever that thing spilled on your carpet has any sort of mundane explanation behind it." He sighed and rubbed his eyes, "Mr. and Mrs. Fenton, I'm going to be frank with you. I would like to contract you for some sort of weapon for this thing. From previous experiences, I'm fully aware your… experiments don't tend to do harm to people, so if… by the off chance, this isn't something normal, we'll have a way to stop it."

Danny's father immediately lit up in excitement. After rambling some idea, he ran down to the lab to act upon it before anyone could stop him.

"Don't mind him," his mother fondly chuckled. "Jack is very enthusiastic about our work."

"I… uh… take that you're willing to help us?"

"Oh, absolutely. If this thing is what we think it might possibly be, we were going to do that anyways. But I do need to ask you something. You mentioned you thought the attacks were ritual in nature. I'm not really sure how to ask this, but for those poor people, was there a part of the body missing?"

Metzger's shoulders tensed at her question as his eyes narrowed. "How did you know about that?"

"Wait… wait, you're telling me… that thing… what it was holding in its hand…" Danny couldn't say it. The memory of the blood dripping from that thing's hand temporarily overwhelmed him. He must have swayed as his mother gently put a hand on his shoulder.

"You don't have to stay if you don't want to. If you decide to go help your father, I think he'd gladly welcome the help."

Danny shook his head at the suggestion. He needed to stay put. It just felt safer with her and the officers around. She must have somehow understood as she gave his shoulder a motherly squeeze.

"You didn't answer my question." An irritated edge crept into Metzger's voice.

His mother calmly turned back to him and returned his gaze. "I didn't until just now. After Danny relayed his story, it struck a chord with me, and I did some digging. There is folklore in different parts of the US which tells of creatures who steal the life of humans and often a part of the body. If… if that's what's happening, then we're in trouble."

"What do you think this thing is doing?"

"Nothing good. Throughout history, humankind has offered up blood and other bodily sacrifices to gods, spirits, monsters, and everything in between. While usually the Aztecs come to mind, you can find evidence of this around the world. It's believed those sacrifices would either strengthen or appease whichever entity was the focus."

"Maddie, are you suggesting this thing is doing something similar?"

She nodded. "I… We aren't sure if this thing is trying to strengthen itself or if it's taking its gains to something else."

A different memory surfaced in Danny's mind. "That… when we were being rescued… the… the person that helped us get back… he said the A-listers got targeted for their blood," he stammered before he could stop himself.

Everyone in the room stared at him. He and his friends really hadn't talked about Frostbite. They mentioned to the police they thought someone helped them, but purposely left it vague. With how disoriented they were when they were found, the police were under the impression the trauma obscured some of their memories. Well, the cat was out of the bag.

Matzger stared at him. "Are you telling me what happened to your classmates may be related to… to this thing?"

"I don't know. Maybe? Like I told my mom before you came, the person who grabbed me and my friends isn't the same… whatever that thing is. But, I don't know what Dash and them encountered after we got separated."

"Hmm… what about the person who helped you?"

Danny shook his head. "Not the same person. He called himself Frostbite, and…" How could he even explain Frostbite? He was a ghostly yeti with an ice arm for God's sake! "I didn't think he was real," he eventually stated as he glanced down at his hands. "He was so friendly and helpful. He was so much different than that thing."

"Honey, you never really talked about this Frostbite person before." His mother tried to reach out for his hand, but he pulled away.

"I… I thought he was a dream or hallucination or something for a while." He hoped he sounded sincere. It was somewhat true after all. The fantastical nature of what happen still didn't seem real to him, but he knew better. "I think he had helpers… there were other voices besides his."

"That would line up with some of the evidence we have from your case," Matzger stated as he rubbed his chin. "The injuries of you and your two friends were vastly different than the others who went missing which suggested multiple perpetrators. One of the other boys did mention that he thought they were rescued by a small group of people. I will have to take a closer look at the injuries of your classmates to determine whether or not they match up with our current victims. That should give us an idea if it's the same thing or something different."

"Sir," officer Kiziah interrupted, "we've finished our initial sweep. We did have some trouble trying to keep Mr. Fenton out of the way in the basement area, but he's promised to stay at the one table while we work. He's apparently drafting some blueprints. Forensics is here and are working on collecting evidence. They're hoping to talk to you."

He sighed. "Thank you, Kiziah. Can you explain to them their options during our investigation progress?" After flashing them an apologetic smile which seemed out of place with his features, he told them he would be in touch and excused himself.

After shaking his head at his superior, Kiziah stated while the family could stay in the house during the investigation process, it had the possibility of accidentally contaminating evidence. He recommended for them to stay at a local hotel for a time.

Although his mother seemed hesitant to leave the house, she eventually agreed to head to a hotel after Vlad made a show of being concerned for the family's safety. It took a bit of time to get his dad to leave the basement, but by the time seven am hit, Danny found himself in the best hotel in Amity Park, per Vlad's firm recommendations.

After sending his friends a few texts to let them know what happened, that he was fine, and where he was, he told them he'd call them after he got some sleep. Although he wasn't exactly happy he shared the room with Vlad, the pristine bed ended up being far more important to him than any worries.

…..

Several hours later, Danny woke up to one hundred and three texts, fifty-four missed calls, and eleven voicemails. Sam and Tucker had only one voicemail and call apiece and only a handful of texts. The rest were from his sister. Groaning, he sent Sam and Tucker messages to let them know he'd call them after he contacted his sister.

He really didn't want to talk to Jazz at the moment. When she was scared, she became spastic, and a spastic Jazz was the last thing he wanted to deal with at the moment. Okay, the third to last think he wanted to deal with. The creepy thing and Plasmius took the top two places.

After taking several minutes to do everything other than call his sister, he finally buckled down and called her. As predicted, she spastically demanded to know if he was okay while berating him for not contacting her sooner. He just let her talk while making the occasional 'uh huh', 'sorry,' and 'yeah.' From experience, he knew it was better to let her get it out of her system.

He put Jazz on speaker while he attempted to find the hotel's TV remote. Vlad didn't seem to be in the room which really didn't bother him. The man didn't need to listen to Jazz flipping out after all. Eventually, he found the remote next to a message from Vlad stating he and his parents went to discuss something with the police and would be back with food.

" _Danny, are you even listening to me?_ " Jazz demanded. He must have been quiet for too long.

"Uh? Yeah, I just happened to find a note Vlad left. You were saying something about how it was irresponsible for Dad to go running after the thing?"

" _Wait, are you telling me you were left alone after everything that happened?_ "

"Jazz, I'm seventeen. I think I'm perfectly fine being alone for a few hours."

" _You were kidnapped by a crazy man and then were attacked in your own home! Do you really think it's safe for you to be alone right now?_ " With that, she flew into a different tirade.

Knowing it would be a while, he decided the TV would be a preferable alternative to his upset sister. He turned it on only to have it immediately turn off. Thinking he accidentally doubled clicked the button, he tried again only to have the same result. Thinking the remote was damaged, he moved to try the button on the machine. Only, it turned on by itself. It and the lights began to dim and flicker, and his breath began to mist.

Glancing around, he watched as a girl emerged from the wall. At first, it seemed she didn't notice him as she moved towards the opposite wall, but she stopped midway and faced him. She looked human but her entire body seemed insubstantial and almost wispy. Her skin, if it could be called that, was an unearthly white while her blue hair flickered like a flame.

She smirked at him while moving a little closer. "You shouldn't be here, Baby Pop." Her sultry and musical voice seemed far away, almost as if it was being broadcasted over an old radio. "Don't know what you're doing on this side of the veil, but you shouldn't stay here."

"What… what are you talking about? Who are you?" he stammered while vaguely registering Jazz asking him what was wrong.

"I like to slip to this side for some fun, but I might stick around a little longer this time. It's already chaotic here, and a little more might do me some good. Besides, it seems I need to make a few people remember I still exist." After appraising him, she gave another smile and headed back towards the wall. "You might want to get out while you can, Baby Pop. Things might get a little hot, and you new guys often aren't strong enough to deal with the heat."

"Hey, wait!" He tried to get her to stop, but she just vanished back into the wall. Unsure what to do, he stood in the center of the room dumbfounded until he realized his phone was still on speaker and his sister was calling for him.

"Hey, Jazz, I'm going to have to call you back," he stated as he moved towards the door. "Something really weird just happened." He hung up on her as he ran into the hallway looking for some evidence of the ghost.

He barely made it to the elevators when the fire alarm sounded. Not wanting to stick around, he quickly found the stairs and made his way to the lobby as the rest of the guests started to follow suit. By the time he reached the third floor, he began to smell smoke. There had to be a fire. Is that what that ghost meant? Did she somehow set it?

He really hoped that wasn't the case. He really only needed on potentially supernatural thing causing problems in his life at a time.

* * *

So, fun fact: I happened to be listening to a complication of folklore stories and ended up being introduced to an old Inuit creature called an Ijiraq. This is a creature that lives between the worlds of life and death and lures children away. Some stories say they were created when hunters got lost and somehow fell in between worlds. I honestly didn't know about it until now… well… I don't think I knew about it (I should go check that mythology encyclopedia I have).

They also have other entities that could easily fit into this story. And now I really want to see if I can find a better compilation of Inuit folklore.

Also, I wonder if anyone caught the show reference I added.


	16. Chapter 16

Chapter 16

As Danny waited outside with the rest of the guests, his parents and Vlad met up with him. After they handed him a bag filled with one of his favorite Nasty Burger meals, he gave them a quick rundown of what he knew, save for the appearance of the ghost. While frustrated, his parents shuffled him into the RV so he could eat and warm up a bit. It was a chilly fall day after all.

As he ate, Danny vaguely wondered how his parents managed to convince Vlad, the man with the limo, to go across town with them. His dad's driving prowess… well, lack thereof… was famous in the area. The townsfolk and even the police steered clear of any known Fenton vehicle. In actuality, he had no idea how his dad hadn't lost his license.

After a couple hours, the fire department cleared the building with the exception that rooms on the second floor could not be used until the police preformed an investigation to verify whether or not arson occurred. The rooms on that floor would also need cleaned. Thankfully, little damage ended up being done from the fire: a few pieces of furniture and some scorch marks. The majority of the damage ended up being from the hotel's sprinkler system.

After collecting their items, his parents drove to a large house on the outskirts of the housing plan where Sam lived. After asking what they were doing there, Vlad matter-of-factly stated he just finalized the payment on it. Danny's utter confusion had to be evident as his parents explained Vlad recently decided to purchase a house in Amity Park since he would be around more to help with the research.

Well, it explained why it took his parents so long to get food. While the act itself didn't seem that strange for Vlad, he did own a castle in Wisconsin after all, something about the timing bothered him. With the rare exception of a day when there was a major experiment malfunction, Vlad tended to stay with the family upon his visits. Exactly how long would he be in town if he needed to buy a new house?

After getting a quick tour of the house, Danny retired to his temporary room and called his friends. The three way call ended up being hectic as he explained what happened. "Guys, I'm telling you, I saw a ghost, and then somehow the hotel caught fire."

" _Calm down, Danny,"_ Sam instructed. " _I know you're telling the truth, but geez, how in the world did you end up being the center of so much trouble in two days?"_

"My mom said something about me possibly attracting paranormal things now."

" _Makes sense, in a weird sort of way_ ," Tucker agreed as typing could be heard on his end. " _I'll see if I can dig up any stories of ghosts like what you saw this time._ "

"Don't worry about it, Tucker. You're already looking into those files."

" _Nah, this'll be easy. It'll only take a couple minutes at most to set up a search and have it run in the background while we talk. Any specific things that stood out?"_

"Other than the blue flaming hair?" He sighed and collapsed on his bed. "If she hadn't been a ghost, she would have looked right at home in one of those bands Sam likes. She said she wanted to make people remember she still exists."

" _So she looked like a goth?"_ Sam questioned.

"Yeah, but with some, uh… I think you'd say she's more punk."

" _Woah! That's_ weird," Tucker stated after something on one of his tech devices beeped in the background. "So _, apparently there have been a series of spontaneous fires that seem to occur about every ten years, but they started after the death of a local girl. Some people think it's her ghost that causes them. I'll send you the articles._ "

It took only seconds for the article links to be sent. Danny nearly dropped the phone when the picture of the mentioned girl appeared on the screen. With the exception of the hair, the girl's face matched that of the ghost. "That… that's her! Wow, she really doesn't look that much different as a ghost."

" _Wait, you're serious?"_ Sam hummed as she reviewed the information. " _Says here while she was unpopular at school, she was in a local band. She was found dead after her house burned down mysteriously. The police thought it might of been an arson, but officials were never able to verify anything. After her death and around its anniversary, there were reports of fires in the city. Sometimes, entire buildings are engulfed, but other times the words 'you will remember' appear burned into buildings._ "

"I kinda remember hearing my dad mention something about ghost fires growing up, but with it being my dad, I never put any stock into it."

" _My mom said something about it once._ "

" _I have no idea why I keep forgetting your mom works for 911,_ " Sam interrupted. " _You know, we might be able to use that to our advantage._ "

" _I mean, you can try, but she refuses to talk about anything other than the occasional funny call. The one about the 'bambulance' still brings me to tears._ "

"Tuck, you're getting distracted."

" _Right. Anyways,_ " some typing could be heard on Tucker's end, _"my mom thought the fires were from the girl's bandmates. They had just recorded a song called 'Remember' which got some local play before she died. Since I know asking Mom for anything else is pointless, I think I'm gonna see if I can get into the files of those fires. The news articles all have explanations, but some of them seem a bit over the top._ "

" _How long will that take?_ "

Danny snorted. "Sam, it's Tucker. Knowing him, he's already looking at them."

" _I'm hurt, Sam. Do you really have that little faith in me?_ "

" _I know you'll be able to get them eventually. You're track record hasn't been all that great recently. You'll still working on those files you got from Plasmius, after all._ "

" _Oh, I've finished the review on those. Some of it isn't pretty, but I wanted to verify information directly from Vlad Master's companies. That's been slow going 'cause he has some impressive firewalls, and I'm really trying not to get caught. As for this,_ " Tucker briefly shouted in triumph, " _I've already gotten what I need. Hmm… that's weird. The official investigations regarding the 'Ember fires', as they're called, all state there was no known cause of the fire. There wasn't even evidence of an accelerant… which is…?"_

" _It's something used to make a fire go from a few flames to a roaring fire. Think of what happens when you add gasoline to a fire,_ " Sam explained as tapping could be heard on her end. Was she at the computer too? " _Most arsonists use one. If they don't, unless the flames start where there's something like tissue paper, sawdust, or something else really flammable, the fire usually takes a lot of time to grow and become a problem. Tuck, is there anything about flammable materials?_ "

" _Hmm… no, not really._ "

Danny sighed as he got off the bed and paced his temporary room. "Great, now there's a fire starting ghost on the prowl, on top of Plasmius, that thing… and possibly whatever is wrong with that girl. Tuck, do you have any updates on anything?"

" _On the Plasmius front, no. Like I said, I'm trying to cross-reference those files against the files from VladCo and DALV, but that's taking a while due to his security. For the creepy thing that attacked you, I have a notification set up for any potentially related attacks. I think that's all I can do for now on that… As for Maura, I got distracted a bit when Plasmius had that chat with you, but I can tell you she stopped posting on social media right after her disappearing act. That's pretty weird for girls in her clique. Give me a couple days to get her medical chart."_ Something beeped in the background. " _Oh, it looks like I might have a pattern for our fire bug ghost._ "

"At least that's something. Can you send them to me?"

Sam snorted. _"What, you're gonna try to figure out where she'll be and talk to her?_ "

"I mean, it's worth a shot. Maybe she knows something about Plasmius or that thing? And… maybe I can nicely ask her to stop lighting fires?"

" _I think you're just gonna end up with your ass kicked, but go ahead._ "

"Thanks for that wonderful vote of confidence," Danny deadpanned. The ghost was nice enough to give him a warning so she couldn't be all bad. "I think if I open up with a 'thank you', she won't outright attack me."

" _It's your funeral._ "

" _Actually, Danny, can you die?_ " Tucker hesitantly asked. " _I mean… your situation is kinda weird._ "

He thought about it for a few moments. "I think so. Clockwork told me I'm alive, so that's good enough for me. But, to be honest, I don't really wanna think about it too much."

" _That's fair_."

…

Danny's conversation only lasted a few more minutes after Tucker asked the awkward question as his parents called for him over an intercom system. Uncertain if the correct response to the intercom should be to cringe or be impressed, he pushed it from his mind as he meandered down the hallways to attempt to find his parents.

Something about the décor of the mansion seemed familiar, but Danny found it difficult to place it. Vlad loved the Green Bay Packers, and he commonly used their colors of green and gold for accents. He stopped in his tracks as he glanced around. Plasmius also had green and gold splashes in his home. It had to be a coincidence.

Not wanting to think about it more, he raced down the halls and eventually came to the main foyer. His dad shot him a questioning glance as his mother stood and moved towards him.

"Hi, sweetie! How are you adjusting? It's been a hectic couple days."

"I'm okay. I'm just a bit tired," he told her as he dodged a hug. "I let Sam and Tucker know we're fine. I'm not dealing with Jazz until after you guys talk to her."

"I trust the room is to your liking?"

Danny jumped as Vlad's voice came from behind him. How did he miss him? "Yes. Thanks for letting us stay."

Vlad waved his hand dismissively. "It's no trouble at all. My house is yours."

"Vlad, you mentioned you had a workshop we can use?" His mother asked as she abandoned her attempts at hugging her son.

After staring at her for a second, Vlad shook his head and regained composure. "Surely that can wait until tomorrow, my dear. You've been through quite a lot in the past twenty-four hours."

"No can do, Vladdy!" Jack boomed as he excitedly stood. "You heard those policemen. They want a Fenton product, and I can't sit still when that spook is still a threat to my family. Say, do you want to help?"

The billionaire grimaced before forcing a smile. "I must politely decline, but I will gladly look over any blue prints in the morning."

"Don't worry," Maddie told him while giving her husband a fond grin, "I know how… enthusiastic Jack can be when he has a new project. I'll also make sure he sleeps tonight. We don't want any accidents."

"That would be greatly appreciated."

Danny glanced between Vlad and his parents. There was some sort of story he was missing. "Should I ask?" he hesitantly questioned.

"I was badly injured when we were in collage when an experiment went wrong," Vlad explained as his expression hardened. "As a result, I've made it a rule to not be in a room when someone is actively making experimental items or preforming experiments. However, I'll gladly double check procedures, blue prints, set ups, and results."

"I… yeah… That… that makes sense. But you're okay now?"

"Absolutely, my dear boy. You could say I gained a different outlook on life as a result." Vlad gave a predatory grin which sent shivers down Danny's spine. "Why, if I hadn't gotten into that accident, I probably wouldn't have ended up so successful."

"Right…" His mother must have caught something off in Vlad's tone as she furrowed her brow in confusion. "It's gotten pretty late. Danny, will you be alright?"

"Huh? Probably. I mean, I could use a snack."

"The kitchen and pantry are just down that hall." Vlad pointed towards the hallway opposite of the way Danny originally came. "Will you be alright to be back to your room once you're done? If you wait, I can escort you back once I'm done showing your parents where the lab is."

"Thanks, but I think I'll be alright. 'Night everyone." Chuckling as his father couldn't contain his excitement anymore and bounded down the hall followed by his amused mother and wary Vlad, he just made his way to the kitchen. It thankfully was easy to find, and after making a sandwich, he meandered his way back towards his room.

….

Around midnight, Danny decided he would attempt to sneak out of the mansion. Luckily for him, Vlad put him in a room on the ground floor, saying something about how the upper floors weren't ready yet. Luckier still, there were no bars on the windows. Sam's parents tried doing something like before due to how many times she snuck out, but it was struck down by her Grandma Ida, who still had control of the deed at that time.

Escape ended up being a piece of cake. There didn't seem to be any type of security system or guard which seemed strange, but that would probably change once the mansion was officially finished.

He had an idea of where the ghost might end up appearing thanks to the articles Tucker forwarded to him earlier so he booked it in the direction of an older housing plan near the city's boarder with Elmerton. The majority of buildings in the area were row houses in disrepair. While there were still a few low income families in the area, most of the houses were considered condemned. Danny remembered hearing talk of tearing the houses down at one point, but either the project was shelved or abandoned.

As he approached, he decided to shift to his ghostly form. While it seemed unlikely he would encounter anyone, the area did have a reputation for crime. While he didn't know what sort of protection being a ghost would give him, it seemed a better option. And, if that thing tried attacking him again, maybe he could float to safety. He really hoped that thing didn't appear; his trust in his abilities honestly was non-existent.

The soft glow of his ghost form provided the majority of the light as he silently found his way to the road where the girl used to live. The few street lamps were either broken or burnt out, and some even seemed melted.

His destination, Garnier Avenue, seemed worse than the surrounding streets. At first he thought the houses were just gutted, but a second look said otherwise. Most of them had some evidence of fire: melted windows, ash marks, and collapsed roofs and walls. Ash and dust could be found on the road as well as the sidewalk, and in some places, they almost looked like outlines of people.

The area seemed dead. No noise. No sound. No movement. As he continued to move forward, his hair stood on end and his breath misted in front of him. It was almost as if he walked into some sort of wall of static electricity.

"So this is what you actually look like. You're not that bad looking after all," a curious voice called to him, making him jump. Danny spun around to see the ghost from earlier materialize in front of him. Her appearance hadn't changed, but she seemed more solid. Even her voice seemed closer and more natural. "Do you know how many of us would kill to be able to blend in that well?"

"Uh… I really wouldn't know. This is really new to me," Danny relied as he held up his hands in what he hoped was a submissive manner.

Her eyes narrowed. "So why are you here, baby pop? Do I interest you?"

He gulped at the undertones of her applications. "A little? I mean, you were nice enough to let me there would be a fire, and I wanted to thank you for that. And maybe ask a couple questions?"

"You just happened to be there at the right time," she responded offhandedly though her satisfied smirk suggested his thanks was welcome. "It would be a waste to see someone like you get destroyed by accident. But, I would like to know how you found me."

"I mentioned you to a friend of mine, and he was able to find out about your legend." Danny hoped he sounded genuinely curious and not creepy. Wait, was it possible for him to not be creepy? He was a ghost after all.

She nodded. "I like to come back around the anniversary of my death. It helps strengthen me."

"You do seem… I think stronger is the word I want."

"Glad you noticed, and that makes you more observant than most of the guys I've met over the years. Call me, Ember." Grinning again, she walked around him almost as if she was examining him.

"I'm Danny."

She snorted. "Bet that's your real name. Don't met too many ghosts who remember theirs. You really must be new. Anyways, you had questions?"

"Yeah. I was hoping you might know something about this thing that's been seen around the town. It attacked me, and it's caused enough trouble to get the police interested." When she didn't immediately respond, Danny took that as a sign he could continue. So, he quickly explained his interaction with whatever the thing was. When he finished, Ember expression turned stony.

"You're telling me something like that has been seen in my town?" she demanded. Her hair, which had been gently waving in an invisible wind, suddenly blazed in a blue flame. "Are you telling me one of those things have been seen here?"

Danny gulped and nodded. "Like I said, it attacked me! What are they? Plasmius doesn't know what they are either."

"Plasmius? Plasmius is here too?" The temperature around them spiked as she shrieked. "Are you working for him? You better answer me, Dipstick."

* * *

Notes: more often than not, ghostly fire is considered to be unsubstantial and doesn't do actual damage. Things like will-o-the-wisps and similar entities are not known for causing fires. They're sometimes described as a cold fire – science says they're probably a type of spontaneous combustion of atmospheric gases. Other times when fire is "seen", it's more of a memory. For example, there's a ghost ship off of Northumberland that witnesses say appears to be on fire.

The few cases where actual fires occur seem to be from poltergeists. There are some very famous accounts of that like the Hitching's ghost, the fire spook of Caledonia Mills, etc. However, there are some weird incidences that don't fall into the traditional poltergeist classification. Tarpon Springs, FL is said to have local fires set by a ghost. There are also stories of a ghost that sets fires at a campsite near Laurel Caverns in Pennsylvania.

Also, Ember's background here is pulled directly from information one of the show's directors provided.

XD I made a shout out to one of my favorite 911 funny calls. Search YouTube for "bambulance". It'll come up as "the guy, the deer, the dog, and the bambulance." There's some foul language, but it's amazing. For clarification, when he talks about why the deer is in the car, some US states allow people to take road kill.

Also, fun fact I just found out. Americans and the British use the word "Quite" differently. For Americans, it's equivalent to saying "wholly", "absolutely", etc. For Brits, it means "fairly", "slightly", etc. I'm American, so I use it in the way I grew up with.

And DP additional note: apparently Amity Park is classified as a city, but I lean towards more of a suburban town. Though McKeesport, PA is considered a city…. And if that counts, sure why not?

I also made a subtle Phantom of the Opera reference. Let me know if you caught it.


	17. Chapter 17

Chapter 17

"Plasmius? Plasmius is here too?" The temperature around them spiked as she shrieked. "Are you working for him? You better answer me, Dipstick."

Thrown off by her sudden hostility, Danny fumbled over his words. Unable to respond fast enough, he found himself tumbling across the asphalt by what felt like some form of shockwave. Glancing up, he found the ghost strumming an electric guitar. "Where'd that come from?" he mumbled to himself as he stood.

"Did Plasmius send you here?" she demanded as she rose into the air. She strummed a few cords with a windmill motion of the arm, and before he could respond, once again, it felt like something unseen hit him. "Do you have any idea what that man did? Well, aren't you going to say anything?"

Another wall of pressure slammed into him as she strummed again. There had to be some sort of connection between whatever was hitting him and her guitar, but what could he do? With the exception of the occasional floating and the one time he created what could only be described as a shield, he had no experience with his abilities. But, he needed to do something because her wild eyes and snarl told him she had no desire to stop any time soon.

He tried to think of something, of anything, but his panic was getting to him. Her attacks hurt, like really hurt. Until this point, the time he broke his arm while bike riding topped his pain experiences, but this was different. Was she trying to kill him? Or was she just trying to get him to talk? Either way, the damage she was causing couldn't be good for him.

"Aren't you going to fly?" she demanded as he rolled over to dodge another one of her attacks. "Are you really that new? Or are you just too stupid to remember you're a ghost?"

"Maybe if you… *pant* give me a moment to catch my breath…"

"Breath? News flash, dipstick: you're dead! You don't need to breathe!" After turning a knob on her guitar, she strummed her guitar again. This time, instead of an invisible wall of sound or energy or something, a pinkish blast came his way.

Yelping, he scrambled to move only to be thrown several feet as the blast barely missed him. He glanced to see a crater in the asphalt where the attack hit. Not wanting to get hit by the new type of attack, he decided his best attempt at surviving was to run.

"Aww, what's wrong? Don't you want to jam with me anymore?" Ember cackled as she followed him in the air. "Did you forget? You're the one who came to see me!"

He needed a moment to think, but she wouldn't give him a chance. Not only that, the temperature in the area had been steadily increasing. In the chilly autumn night, it was originally welcome, but as it became warmer, it became harder for him to catch his breath efficiently. His body also felt heavy and sluggish. She did briefly mention new ghosts couldn't stand the heat so maybe it was also doing damage.

"This is a misunderstanding!" Danny tried to plead as he jumped out of the way only to be hit by a different blast. Struggling to get back to his feet, he stared up at her and braced himself for another attack. "I'm not working for him! WILL YOU LISTEN TO ME?" A green dome surrounded him in time to bounce the most recent attack back towards Ember, knocking her backwards.

After staring at her and then at his hands, his attention turned towards the dome. It had to be the same thing that appeared when he managed to defend himself from that creature. What was it exactly? Hesitantly, he touched it only to have it shatter and vanish. "Well… that's something."

Noticing Ember still seemed stunned, he once again held his hands up in hopes he didn't look threatening. "Look! I don't know what issues you have with him, but I'm not working for Plasmius. He's the reason I'm like this!" he angrily gestured to his own body. "Do you want to continue kicking my butt? Or can we talk? Since I really don't know how to fight back, I'd really like us to talk."

The flames of her hair lessened as her posture relaxed. An expression, possibly pity, replaced her anger as her guitar faded into nothing while she floated back towards the ground. "You're really not working for him? Well, damn. I guess I jumped the gun. Sorry about that, Baby Pop."

"Look," he sighed as he rubbed his neck. He briefly made note of the cooling temperature. "Plasmius is just interested in me for some reason. I don't want anything to do with him, but that doesn't stop him from finding me when he wants. And that thing, he asked about it too."

"Let me ask you this first, what do you know about me?"

"Huh?" He hadn't expected that specific question. "Err… the you now? Or the you before… well…?"

"Either one."

After bringing out his phone and ignoring Ember's puzzled expression, he double checked the information Tucker sent to him. "Well, I know you lived in this area, and that you were in a band. The you now is said to start fires like every ten years. I'm not sure how true anything else is."

She nodded and pointed towards a house more charred than the rest. "That's where I lived with my mother. The details are hazy, but I know it was an accident and that my old bandmates were involved. When I awoke like this, I wanted answers. After finding a way to cross back over, I haunted my friends. I wanted to scare them into talking, and to make sure they knew it was me, I used some of our song lyrics."

"But, it's difficult, especially for a new spirit, to stay here for too long." Her gaze momentarily grew distant before she focused back on him. "When I finally returned, ten years past. The people who were involved with my death moved on with their lives, and I was infuriated. That's when I met Plasmius. He offered to help me take my revenge."

"Wait, Plasmius offered to help you? Why?"

She rolled her eyes. "I'm getting to that. He asked if I cared what he did to them, and at the time, I didn't. I regret that. I found out afterwards Plasmius wanted humans for experiments of some kind. I have no idea exactly what he did or why he did it, but," her fists balled, and her hair blazed, "I saw the aftermath of what he did to one of my former friends. No one deserves what happened to him."

An icy pit formed in Danny's stomach as he thought about everything he experienced. "He's still carrying out experiments. My friend managed to take some of his files and is looking into it."

"You should keep away from him. It'll be safer for you if you do."

An uneasy silence fell between them until Danny spoke up again. "Err… is Plasmius the reason you set fire to that hotel?"

"Huh? Oh that. No, that was for me. When I'm on this side of the veil, I need a way to retain energy. Keeping my legend alive helps, but I've lost most of my taste for revenge so I've been targeting buildings that are either empty or can easily handle a fire. As you get older, you'll find out it can be hard to keep up your strength both here and on the other side. You'll figure out what's easiest for you." She relaxed into a lounging position as she continued to float above the road.

"It might come as a surprise, but I've also been trying to keep nosy kids away from this area. Amity is generally a safe place, but you probably have heard the stories of this area. It was just as bad when I was growing up. Stories made the rounds for years about kids in this area going missing. Some of it was crime, but after I passed away, I discovered there's a door to our world in the area. Kids that stumble through it don't often come back alive. With how close it is, it's probably the reason I came back as a ghost."

"Really? I thought those things only appeared in forests and stuff like that."

She narrowed her eyes as she floated closer to him. "How new are you?" Not waiting for his response, she continued to talk. "Anyways, they can appear anywhere. The ones in cities get some sort of interference or something from the electricity, so they aren't as regular as the ones out in the boonies. Say, do you want to know where it normally is? You probably aren't strong enough to go back and forth without one."

"Err… sure? I probably should know about it."

"Well, come on then." She floated up a little and glanced at him expectantly.

He couldn't look at her, and he could feel the blush spread across his checks. "I… err… can't really fly like you can. Don't have a clue how to even float. It just kinda happens."

Laugher erupted from her. "That's a good one, baby pop. All ghosts seem to just know how to use their basic powers after the first few days." When he continued to look at his feet, her amusement faded. "Wait, you're serious? Here."

He glanced up to see her extending him her hand. Hoping she wasn't suddenly going to change her mind about talking, he took the invitation. Some energy that wasn't his flooded through his body as she lifted him in the air, and an unpleasant fluttering sensation filled his chest.

"Seems your core is working just fine," she told him as she began pulling him forward. "It's a lot cooler than mine is. It'd be pretty neat if you develop water or ice based powers down the road. You don't tend to meet ghosts who do who look so human."

"Err… so, is it normal for ghosts not to look human?"

"Hmm? On average, the older the ghost, the less human that ghost looks, but that's not always the case. I don't really know any specifics. Some new ghosts look so weird that it's hard to imagine they were once human, and some old ghosts can pass as humans. But, I do know we often change as we gain power, and that can be pretty drastic."

That was an unnerving thought. He looked pretty normal now, but would he change in the future? Would it affect his human side too? If it did, how would he be able to hide it?

Ember must have noticed his distress. "Don't think about it too much, Baby Pop. That isn't something that happens until your current form is no longer a match for your strength. I was told that usually takes centuries."

"Usually?"

She shrugged. "There are lots of ways ghosts can gain power. Some say some of those methods can jump start things. I don't know really know, and don't really care. Most of the ways I've heard to do that aren't all that appealing to me. Anyways, here we are."

Danny glanced down to see the Centralia Bridge. It was an old railway bridge that was no longer used for anything other than the art skills of vandals. Most of it was still intact, but some of the planks were rotting so locals knew to be careful if the desire to attempt to traverse it ever came to mind.

Ember gently set him down near the one anchor point before pointing towards the concrete. "It's most commonly found around there. Seems like it's dormant at the moment. You can barely even feel it."

He nodded as a chill ran down his spine. It was a familiar feeling, and one that filled him with dread. Glancing around, it didn't seem like there was anyone else around, but he couldn't the notion something was wrong.

"What's up? I know it's not impressive right now. You should see it when it's open, then it's really something," she teased. However, her smirk disappeared after she caught sight of his expression. "You okay, baby pop?"

"We need to hide. Now!" When she just raised an eyebrow at him, he became more animated as his breath started to mist. "Look, I don't know how to explain it. Something's wrong. Something's watching. We shouldn't be here!"

Her eyes widened as she waved her hand in his misted breath. "How are you doing that? You shouldn't…" She shrieked and yanked him up in the air as something lunged at them. "You weren't kidding. That… that's the thing you were asking about?"

"Yea…yeah…" he stammered as he peered down at the creature.

It was that thing again. That same unnerving thing. The city lights hazily reflected off the thing's sickly grey skin as it stared at them. Its eyes burned with hatred, but it made no move towards them. After what could have been either seconds or minutes, it glanced at its hand which held an unknown item that leaked a dark liquid on its hand and the concrete beneath it before moving towards the bridge support.

It never took its eyes off of them as it used its free hand to stroke a finger along the concrete of the support. The action caused the pillar to shimmer some, and a pressure that caused his chest to thrum unpleasantly hit him. Before it disappeared, slipping into the shimmering area, the thing screeched in way that reminded Danny of a dying animal.

Once it was gone, neither him nor Ember spoke or moved. The unpleasant atmosphere the creature brought lessened, but the night air remained unnervingly still.

Their spell broke when his body decided it could no longer handle its ghostly form and forced him to become human again. Ember nearly dropped him in shock, but luckily managed to get a better hold of him before he truly fell. Scared, she flew the two of them back to Garnier Avenue.

"You… you told me you saw that thing, but… but I didn't believe you," she stammered after she safely put him down. "That's not something I ever thought I'd see."

"What exactly is it?" Nonstop shivers raced through his body.

"The older ghosts call them different things. 'Collector' and 'Wraith' are the most common." She stared into the distance as she spoke before she shook herself and turned her attention back to him. "But more pressingly, what are you? I thought you're just really good at hiding your appearance, but that's not it? You're somehow alive."

He helplessly shrugged before launching into an abridged explanation of what happened to him and the little he knew. "So, yeah, that's all I know. Clockwork suggested he'd get in touch, but I don't know how or when. So… going back to these 'Wraith' things. Are they like the 'Recruiters' I got warned about?"

Ember slowly shook her head. "I personally think you're more interesting. How someone like you is even possible is beyond me, but I guess I need to put my curiosity aside for now since it won't be any fun if that thing gets you." Her posture relaxed, and she floated in a sitting position as she listened. "I'm not completely sure what they are. Everything I've heard about them is from stories, but they're normally said to have been modified somehow." She leaned forward and rested her arms on her knees. "If I've heard correctly, they're designed to steal energy from the living… ah, but not in a relatively harmless way."

"That makes sense, in a twisted sort of way," he muttered. "The police think they've been killing people. I know I saw that thing standing…" He couldn't say it as the image of the deceased person filled his mind again. "I think it killed that person. The police hesitantly admitted the people they believe it killed had body parts missing."

"If that thing is in the area, you shouldn't be out in the open at night. I know they're dangerous, even to us ghosts, but I don't know how powerful they are. You might want to look at finding old wards against ghosts, if you're worried it might follow you." She stretched and grinned at him. "Since I kinda feel responsible for attacking you earlier, let me take you back home. You still can't fly, right?"

Warmth flooded his cheeks. Not sure if he was embarrassed from her being fairly attractive, even though she was dead, or if it was due to his inability to do something that apparently ghosts considered trivial, he stammered a polite 'no, thanks.'

She just rolled her eyes at him before grabbing him and pulling him into the sky again. "Don't complain. I'm not going to leave you out here with that thing loose. Now, where do you live?"

"Err… thanks?" he told her after pointing her in the right direction. "Are you going to be okay?"

"Who do you think you're talking to?" She laughed when he raised an eyebrow at her. "Listen, baby pop. I'll be just fine. I'm strong enough to handle things on my own, but I am going to head to the other side of the veil and alert my contacts about that thing. My current boyfriend considers himself a hunter, so I know the story will at least find its way to the right people."

"Thanks. Wait, you have a boyfriend?"

"What? Is it so weird that a ghost is dating?"

Not wanting to sound offensive, he carefully phrased his answer. "Err… it really hadn't been something I thought about. It's not like I know too much about this stuff."

She hummed thoughtfully. "I'll give you a pass this time. Anyways, is this the place? How loaded are you?"

"It's not ours. A family friend is letting us stay here while the police investigate our house." He then directed her to the room that he was using.

She did something which made him shiver before the two of them passed through the wall. He stared at her in awe once she put him down. "You'll be able to do that too. It's not that hard, and almost all ghosts can do that," she preened. "Anyways, don't go looking for that thing. Stay low and practice your abilities. You're a sitting duck the way you are now."

"Thanks for everything, Ember. I hope you don't get in trouble or anything for this."

"Don't worry about me. I'm not sure if we'll meet again any time soon. I do have trouble trying to get back to this side, but I'm going to try to come back to check on you, so don't go dying all the way in the meantime, k?"

He barely had time to nod before she vanished from sight. After a quick check of the room to make sure she wasn't somehow still around, he decided to change into his bed clothes. He was about to call it a day when a knock at the door startled him.

"Daniel?"

It was Vlad. What in the world was he doing knocking on his bedroom door this time of night? After momentarily debating on whether or not he should pretend he's asleep, he decided to open the door. "What's up?" he asked while studying the man's face.

Vlad's brows were furrowed, and he wore a slight frown. He seemed concerned, but something about his gaze made him seem almost guarded. "Daniel, I understand you're a teenager, and teenagers sometimes sneak out, but with that thing out there, you shouldn't be risking your life like that."

"I'm sorry… Err, you aren't going to tell my parents, are you?"

The man gently smiled at him. "Not this time. I think we can just leave this our little secret." He then bid him a good night and disappeared down the hallway.

Somewhat unnerved, Danny closed the door and locked it. How in the world did Vlad know he snuck out?

* * *

Note: Another brief reference! If you're not familiar with it, Centralia is a town a little east of Allentown in Pennsylvania and south of State Game Lands Number 58 (yes, that area is called that). It was a mining town that's been mostly abandoned due to a mine fire that doesn't show signs of stopping. It's part of the inspiration of the Silent Hill game series.


	18. Chapter 18

Sorry for the break. I wanted to take some time to do an editing for a project for a friend.

* * *

Chapter 18

The next morning, Danny warily made his way to breakfast. Vlad greeted him and showed him to a dining room where a buffet was waiting. According to the older man, his parents had already eaten and were now in the lab doing research.

After grabbing a plate, he decided he would ask about how he knew he snuck out when something about the décor caught his attention. Banners of green and gold hung from the ceiling. He vaguely remembered the Vlad mentioning his love of the team the Green Bay Packers and how he tended to decorate using the team's colors, but it bothered Danny. Something about those colors unnerved him.

His plate slipped from his fingers as unwanted memories surfaced. Plasmius' castle had similar decorations. Even Vlad's dining room seemed to have a similar architecture and size as the other one.

"Daniel, what's wrong?" Was that Plasmius? It sounded like him. What was he going to do to avoid him this time?

A hand touched his shoulder, and Danny slapped it away and moved so his back was against the wall. Breathing heavily, he watched Vlad glance back and forth between him, the fallen plate, and the room. His brows were furrowed in confusion.

Chills ran down his spine. Why did he keep associating the two? Was Plasmius really that similar to Vlad? Did it have something to do with the ghostly chills Vlad now seemed to induce in him?

Vlad's eyes narrowed as he tried calling to him again. His voice still seemed to hold concern, but his stiff posture continued to set off alarms in Danny's mind. Something was wrong with the situation, and he needed to escape.

After stammering some lame excuse, Danny ran from the room. As he ran to his room to grab his things, he tried texting Sam to let her know he was on the way.

xxxxxx

"So, why exactly did you decided I needed to be visited at such an ungodly time on a Sunday?" Sam demanded of Danny. He arrived before she finished getting ready and had patiently waited for her on her bed until she determined she was decent.

He rolled his eyes at her. "I don't think ten thirty is 'ungodly,' Sam." When she glared at him, he raised his hands in defense. "I'm sorry, alright? I… I think I had a panic attack? For a moment, I thought Plasmius managed to take me back to his palace."

Whatever lingering anger dissipated as she crossed the room and sat next to him. After a moment, she pulled him into a hug and just held him. Danny didn't speak; he just rested his head on her shoulder and returned the hug.

She couldn't be angry at him for this, and in honesty, it surprised her he hadn't cracked earlier. Most of the people their age ostracized him because they found him unsettling, and the braver ones teased and mocked him due to a combination of that and his parents, so Danny made it a point to try to keep up appearances when stress or anxiety got to him. While she didn't necessarily agree with it, she at least made sure he knew he could open up to her when he needed it. Sometimes men needed a good cry too.

When she felt a couple tears hit her shoulder, she just rubbed his back and let him get it out of his system. His skin held an unusual chill, as if he'd just been outside. She brushed it off as an oddity of his situation. Instead, she preoccupied herself with his scent. Whatever he used as a wash smelled like the air the night before a frost, and she appreciated the change. When he settled down some, she brought it up, much to his confusion.

"Sam, I don't know what you're talking about. I fell asleep after I got back last night and was planning on a shower after breakfast, but you saw how that turned out," he explained as he pulled back so he could look at her.

She gasped as there were a couple unusual changes to his features. His eyes were now glowing a dull green, and the few remaining damp spots held a luminescent sheen. "I guess your tears glow now."

He just swore and wiped at his face. His eyes faded back to their normal color.

Once he finished, she took his hand and smiled. "Hey, it's okay. I don't care, and I know Tucker doesn't either. Both of us are here for you. We'll figure things out the best we can, alright?"

His eyes softened as he placed his free hand on hers. "If it's okay with you, how about we go to that restaurant? My treat. I think we both need a distraction." He then glanced down at himself before giving her a crooked smile, "Well, after I take a shower. I did get my ass handed to me last night, after all."

"Did you seriously just make fun of yourself just to purposely ruin the moment?" She removed her hand from his before playfully pushing him off the bed. "Fine, go get your shower."

…..

Although they settled on a lunch date, Sam thought it actually went well. Danny kept his promise and took her to the new vegan restaurant near the mall. Although he didn't tend to like meat alternatives, he did try for her. He seemed to really enjoy the rosemary infused pasta he got, but he openly squirmed when Sam offered to let him try her tofu dish. He apologized and said the smell seemed to bother him. Although it was odd since she'd eaten similar dishes around him before without him reacting like that, she just shrugged it off. It wasn't until later that she realized she tasted sage in the dish.

Was it possible the herb bothered him? If she thought about it, sage was often used as a banishment herb for spirits, and Danny was kind of a spirit now. That was a bit of a concern. What if he accidentally ate or brushed against a plant that could do damage to him? Maybe he could subconsciously tell which plants were an issue?

Well, gardening and plants were her forte after all. She could do some research regarding which plants might harm him, and once she had a list, they could, hopefully, safely test them out.

When she brought up her theory to Danny, he hummed thoughtfully as he considered it while they walked to the mall. "With everything else, I wouldn't be too surprised. Now that I think about it, my tastes have changed some."

"I've noticed you've gotten more adventurous with food," she joked, remembering one of the recent milkshake concoctions he and Tucker made.

He wouldn't look at her when he answered. "Yeah…"

She wondered what that meant and gently prodded for more information. "You know you can tell me anything, right?"

"Food just tastes kinda bland," he reluctantly explained. "The stronger the flavor, the more I seem to be able to taste it. That dish I had today was one of the first things that kinda tasted normal in a while."

"That's interesting, but I'm glad things were normal for a little. I'll do some digging for you to see what foods might seem more appealing to a ghost. Wow, that's not something I ever thought I would say."

Danny rubbed his neck as he thanked her. "I really do appreciate it, but you really don't have to."

"But I want to do this," she insisted as they entered the mall. Before he could say anything else, she grabbed his hand and led him towards 'Skulk and Lurk Books.' "Something tells me the universe is going to keep throwing crap your way, so let me help with the little things."

A few minutes later, they entered her favorite book store. Danny awkwardly stood near the counter as she explained to the shopkeeper what she wanted. After double checking something on his computer screen, the shopkeeper led her to section that mostly involved spell books.

When she raised an eyebrow, the shopkeeper smiled. "This will probably be your best bet. Some of the books explain why plants are chosen over others."

She thanked the man and enlisted Danny's help in sifting through the different books. After about fifteen minutes, Sam found one she deemed appropriate. Not only did it directly talk about different plants and their uses, there seemed to be a few protective spells. If they worked, maybe they could help her protect her loved ones, and if they didn't work, at least she'd be able to help Danny.

After purchasing it, she hummed happily as she and Danny left the store. She then decided to take a peek into one of her favorite clothing stores. While browsing, Danny innocently presented her with a small box that held a pair of bat shaped earrings she ogled when they entered the store. In his hand, she could see the tip of a receipt. Touched by gesture, she took it and promised she'd put them on as soon as they left the store.

"So…" she started once they exited the store, and her new earrings were in their place, "are we official now?"

"That's up to you," he told her as he gestured to a coffee shop. "I mean, with everything going on right now and how I seem to be attracting everything supernatural and dangerous right now, I don't want to accidently be the reason why you get hurt. But, I know it's not my place to make that decision for you, so it's your call."

She kissed him on the cheek. When he stared as he gently touched the area, she beamed at him. "Thank you. I know you're worried and have every reason to be, but we don't have to rush things. Let's just take it day by day for now, and if things start getting really crazy again, we can put things on hold."

His eyebrows almost disappeared into his bangs. "And having a murderous paranormal creature on the loose isn't crazy?"

"It's not as crazy as being spirited away into a parallel dimension."

xxxx

Although the morning started off terribly, but the evening, Danny decided it had overall been a good day. Sam seemed content at his side. A warm feeling floated around his chest, though he wasn't certain if those were good feelings or something in his core. Frostbite did mention in passing while they were traveling to Clockwork's place about feelings and it could affect his core, but there was too much else going on at the time.

Since the sun was starting to set, he decided it would be a good idea to walk Sam home. That thing and Plasmius were both on the loose, and he didn't think Sam's parents would be too thrilled with him if she returned home when it was completely dark. Although, if he was honest, her parents weren't thrilled with him in general.

A few blocks away from Sam's home, a cold chill ran up his back forcing him to stop in his tracks. As his breath misted, Sam tried to ask him what was wrong. It didn't feel the same as Plasmius or the thing, but it didn't mean whatever he sensed wasn't equally as dangerous.

"I AM THE BOX GHOST!" something shouted from his left. Both he and Sam turned just in time to watch a translucent blue blur race by them. "I WILL NOT BE TRAPPED BY YOUR CYLINDRICAL CONTAINER!"

Dumbfounded, Danny just stood there processing what just happened. Seconds later, his parents drove by in the Fenton Ghost Assault Vehicle. His dad was driving while his mother hung out one of the windows holding something that looked like a soup thermos.

"We should follow them"

"Huh?" He glanced over at Sam, who seemed to be almost vibrating with excitement. "Why?"

"Don't you want to know what that was?"

"I'm assuming the Box Ghost."

She rolled her eyes before grabbing his arm and marching forwards. "Come on! I want to see what happens!"

"Okay, but if we find ourselves in the world of the dead again, I blame you."

After a few blocks, they found Danny's parents outside of their vehicle in a stalemate with what was obviously a ghost. The self-proclaimed Box Ghost looked fairly human, save for his bluish color tones. His outfit reminded Danny of old warehouse or factory workers.

"Mads, do you have the Fenton Thermos working yet?" Danny's dad called out as he levied what appeared to be a bazooka at the ghost.

His mother fiddled with the device. "Not yet. I know our calculations are right, but I can't figure out why the power source keeps failing."

The Box Ghost laughed at them. What appeared to be fifty or more cardboard boxes floated behind him. "I AM THE BOX GHOST! I HAVE POWER OVER ALL CONTAINERS CARDBOARD AND SQUARE! PUNY HUMANS, TREMBLE BEFORE ME! BEWARE!"

The absurdity of the situation ended up being too much for Danny. He snorted before remarking, "And what's the worst you can do? Give me a paper cut?"

Silence filled the area as everyone stared at him. Then, chaos erupted. His parents were screaming. The ghost yelled something about punishment. The boxes flew towards him. Sam tugged on his arm. The next thing he knew, Sam shoved the thermos his mother had into his hands.

On a whim, he held the strange metal thermos towards the ghost, expecting nothing to happen. However, a beam of blue light erupted from it and hit the ghost. Seconds later, in a Ghost Busters-like scene, the ghost was sucked into the thermos.

Dumbfound at the result and how the cardboard boxes just fell to the ground once the ghost disappeared, he looked around for some sort of explanation.

"Good going, Danny!" his dad called as he and his mother raced over. "Knew you had it in you!"

"Young man, what in the world were you doing here?" his mother demanded as she took the thermos from him. After a moment of examining it, she muttered, "Huh? It's showing full functionality now. We couldn't get it to work no matter what we did."

Sam answered for him. "We happened to see both you and the 'Box Ghost'," she mimicked its way of speaking, making him chuckle, "fly past, and I wanted to see what would happen. I wasn't expecting this one to decide to be funny at the worst possible moment."

"Seriously? He was trying to fight with cardboard boxes. There's no way I can consider something like that a threat." When his mother scowled at him, he changed tactics. "Anyways, how did all this happen, and what exactly is that thermos?"

"It's the Fenton Thermos, patent pending!" his dad proudly announced. "We created it as a containment device so we can capture ghosts and other paranormal creatures until we can find a way to either destroy the dangerous ones or find a way to prevent the natural gateways from opening."

"Does that include the portal in the basement?"

"It's currently off-line. As much as we want to continue studying it, we don't want another one of those things using it as a tunnel into the house." His mother pulled the hood on her hazmat suit off and fluffed her hair. "As for what happened, we were trying to update one of our scanners when we got a larger than average blip so we went to investigate. We found the ghost, shot at it with some of our prototypes, and it ran."

"I can't wait to study it!"

"Study it how, Mr. Fenton?" Sam asked. There seemed to be an edge to her voice. If Danny had to guess, her activism somehow got activated, but he wasn't sure why.

"Right now? We don't really have the equipment to do much else other than scan its energy levels and get a base reading on its components. I'd like to get a sample of its ectoplasm, but we don't currently have a containment system appropriate for that. This will also give us an idea of what the thermos can and can't handle."

Oh, that's what it was. Sam wanted to make sure the studies weren't inhuman. It made sense. The ghosts they'd previous encountered were definitely sentient, but not necessarily rationale.

"Anyways, Sam, you probably want to head home. It's getting pretty late." His mother mentioned as his dad headed back to the Ghost Assault Vehicle. "I'll see you back at Vlad's, Danny. Please make sure you check in with him. He said you had a panic attack this morning and is worried about you."

"Sure thing…" He really tried to stop himself from grimacing.

When his parents were out of earshot, Sam irritably told him to make sure nothing too horrid happened to that ghost. While he seemed like an annoyance and possibly evil, first impressions were often wrong. He promised he'd keep an eye on things as they restarted their journey to Sam's house.

* * *

The frosty scent – well, winter and frost/ice are associated with death, and since Danny is still alive and not rotting, frosty scent works.

Rosemary is said to have the ability to ward off evil spirits, but is also used in some funerals and war commemorations as a symbol for remembrance. Due to Danny's ghostliness and decisive not evilness, I decided he would be attracted to the plant.

Sage, on the other hand, is used in banishment rituals for the good and the bad. So, he's more wary of it. Interestingly, I've heard it's possible to accidentally trap spirits if smudging is incorrectly done.


End file.
